U.S. National Guard trains to win the electromagnetic battle
By
Colton Jones
Aug 14, 2025
Modified date: Aug 14, 2025
At this year’s Northern Strike, the U.S. National Guard’s premier readiness exercise in Michigan, soldiers faced an intensive training environment that pushed the limits of electromagnetic warfare (EW) in realistic combat scenarios.
Held at the Michigan National All-Domain Warfighting Center, the exercise brought together U.S., British, and Latvian forces in a high-pressure environment designed to replicate the chaos of modern warfare. Soldiers trained to disrupt enemy communications, intercept signals, and scan for threats in an evolving fight across the airwaves.
Last year, the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) piloted a program sending mobile EW teams into the field to disrupt the communications of training units. This year, the concept advanced — EW teams were embedded directly within infantry squads, forcing soldiers to adapt to jamming and signal denial in real time.
“This is a rare training opportunity in the National Guard and in the Army as a whole,” said Spc. Robert Bowley, an Electromagnetic Warfare Specialist with the 37th IBCT from Columbus, Ohio. “To train with the equipment, you need the funding, and Northern Strike allows for that.”
https://defence-blog.com/u-s-national-guard-trains-to-win-the-electromagnetic-battle/
