British troops have been honing their warfighting skills alongside international forces in a major military exercise on American soil.
Fort Irwin's "The Box" training area.
British soldiers played a leading role in defending Razish Village, a key training facility within Fort Irwin's "The Box" training area.
British soldiers trialed equipment including the Ghost Ghillie suit, the FPV Nero Archer drone and various Counter- Uncrewed Aerial Systems.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Yorkshire Regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon patrol upwards into the high ground towards their observation post location, while trialing the Ghost Ghillie suit.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion the Rifles Regiment take cover as they plan for their next move during the assault on to their objective.
Rheinmetall's Mission Master Uncrewed Ground Vehicle is an autonomous vehicle that has the ability to scout ahead of ground troops.
Project Convergence Capstone 5, unfolding across California's Fort Irwin and the sprawling Mojave Desert, brings together over 600 British troops with forces from six allied nations. The exercise, led by the US Army, creates a testing ground where partners can forge stronger battlefield connections before facing real-world conflicts.
The exercise brought together military units from the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Australia and France to test and enhance their coordination capabilities across all domains of warfare – land, air, sea, cyber and space.
Taking place within "The Box" training area, soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Royal Yorkshire Regiment played a lead role defending the village of Razish, a key training facility within Fort Irwin. The Regiment used advanced digital situational awareness tools to share real-time battlefield intelligence with their Australian counterparts, significantly improving coordination and response capabilities.
Meanwhile, 5th Battalion The Rifles Regiment soldiers took part in offensive serials using Chinook helicopters and ground approach routes to insert into simulated enemy held positions. Movement through narrow streets and compounds provided valuable experience in close-quarter battle tactics that modern urban warfare demands. Some tested the new Ghost Ghillie suit, which helps reconnaissance specialists virtually disappear into their surroundings.
The exercise focused on bridging critical gaps between allied forces – sharing intelligence instantly across different systems, making faster decisions together, responding to enemy movements as one cohesive unit, and smoothing out the complications that naturally arise when different military cultures operate side-by-side.
A critical asset on the ground, 22nd Engineer Regiment contributed specialist expertise throughout the exercise, supporting both offensive and defensive phases while evaluating innovative technologies for potential future deployments.
Looking specifically at the advanced systems technology, troops were field-testing equipment that could transform future conflicts. The Australian Ground Unit Sensor system monitors vast areas of battlefield, while the Android Team Awareness Kit gives soldiers unprecedented visibility of friendly positions. Perhaps most striking is Rheinmetall's Mission Master Uncrewed Ground Vehicle– an autonomous vehicle that scouts ahead without risking human lives.
Through dust, heat and exhaustion, these multinational forces are writing the playbook for how allied armies will fight together in tomorrow's conflicts.
