U.S. Army’s Next-Generation Command and Control (NGC2) Expands to Division Level

Technical Overview

The U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division has successfully completed Ivy Sting 4, demonstrating unprecedented progress in scaling the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) system from battalion to division-level operations. This marks a crucial milestone in one of the Army’s most ambitious modernization programs.

Key Technical Achievements:

Networked Artillery Expansion: The division increased from one to six networked artillery systems capable of receiving fire missions through NGC2, demonstrating scalable sensor-to-shooter connectivity
Multi-Vendor Architecture: Led by Anduril and Palantir with over a dozen contributing vendors, NGC2 represents a true open-architecture ecosystem
Four-Layer Technology Stack: Transport, infrastructure, data, and applications layers enable previously siloed systems to share information seamlessly
Real-Time Logistics Tracking: Vehicles equipped with sensors automatically report fuel and ammunition levels directly into NGC2, enabling automated resupply ordering
Soldier Vitals Monitoring: Individual soldier sensors track combat casualties in real-time, providing commanders with accurate force strength assessments and enabling medics to pre-position based on incoming casualty data

Operational Validation

During Ivy Sting 4, the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment successfully operated in a denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) environment. When a simulated electromagnetic jammer cut off satellite connectivity, the unit:

Maintained internal battle tracking at squadron level without division connectivity
Located the simulated jammer using local assets (without satellite feeds)
Eliminated the threat with mortar fire
Automatically re-synchronized with division networks once the jammer was neutralized

Lt. Col. Shawn Scott, squadron commander, emphasized that data “fed back into division, and likewise, division back down to us seamlessly” once connectivity was restored.

Expert Analysis

NGC2 represents a fundamental shift from systems-centric to data-centric command and control. Major General Pat Ellis’s statement—”we are no longer fighting with the network. We are now fighting using the network”—captures this transformation perfectly.

Strategic Implications:

Decision Advantage: By eliminating hour-long staff meetings in favor of real-time data visualization across all warfighting functions (fires, intelligence, logistics, maneuver), commanders can execute inside adversary decision cycles
Continuous Transformation Model: Rather than spending a decade developing a system only to discover it’s obsolete at fielding, the Army is co-developing NGC2 with operational units, incorporating soldier feedback in rapid iterations
Multi-Domain Integration: NGC2’s open architecture enables integration with autonomous systems, AI/ML tools, and future capabilities without wholesale system replacement

Near-Term Roadmap:

May 2026 (Ivy Mass): Red team from Army Training and Transformation Command will attack the system without warning
Summer 2026 (Project Convergence Capstone 6): Full division demonstration
2027: Potential whole-division operational deployment

Critical Assessment: NGC2’s success hinges on cybersecurity resilience and electronic warfare hardening. The Ivy Sting 4 demonstration of DDIL operations is encouraging, but peer adversaries will employ far more sophisticated denial capabilities than simulated jamming. The system’s dependence on commercial components (praised for rapid iteration) could present supply chain vulnerabilities in prolonged conflict.

Sources:
Defense One: “Army moves to link a full division with its next-gen C2 prototype” (February 5, 2026)