Press Release - Arcane Thunder exercise to begin in Poland, Romania and Germany

Aug. 21, 2023

The 56th Artillery Command will plan and coordinate the employment of multi-domain fires and effects in support of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and/or a Combined Joint Force Land Component Command. The Theater Fires Command improves readiness and multinational interoperability by the integration of joint and multi-national fires in theater operations and exercises. The unit takes it’s lineage from the 56th Field Artillery Command, which last served on active duty in Europe from 1986 to 1991 as the Theater’s Pershing Missile Headquarters. It inactivated in June 1991 following the signing of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The 56th Artillery Command is headquartered in Mainz-Kastel, Germany. (Photo by OCPA)

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MAINZ-KASTEL, Germany —

2nd Multi-Domain Task Force and multinational partners will conduct exercise Arcane Thunder 23, from Aug. 28 – Sep. 8, 2023, in Mainz-Kastel, Germany; Ustka, Poland; and Mihail, Romania, to experiment and test the continuous integration of effects within the five Department of Defense domains – air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.

Arcane Thunder 23 will apply the multi-domain concept to ensure Allied and partner nations have an increased advantage against potential adversaries across all domains, the electromagnetic spectrum, the information environment, and at echelon” said Col. Patrick Moffett, 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, Commander. “Military personnel from seven countries, including Germany, Poland, Romania, Finland, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, are expected to participate in the exercise to learn more about the convergence of multi-domain effects.”

Contingents from Italy and Czechia will observe training during the exercise.

Arcane Thunder 23 is the first-time 2nd MDTF—the Army’s second such task force—has led a training event, and is part of the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence campaign to evaluate the progress of the service’s modernization efforts.

Project Convergence is the Army's campaign to integrate and advance its contributions to the Joint Force, enabling rapid convergence of effects across all domains to outmatch adversaries in competition and conflict.

Arcane Thunder 23 is an unprecedented multi-domain and multi-national exercise that is the result of the close partnership between U.S. Army Futures Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa, combining new experimental technologies and formations while informing further capability requirements that will help deliver the Army of 2030 and beyond.

“I couldn't be prouder of the Soldiers in 2nd Multi-domain Task Force who are truly at the forefront of Army transformation," said Brig. Gen. Andrew C. Gainey, 56th Artillery Command commanding general.

Arcane Thunder 23 incorporates industry technology to aid organic sensor-to-shooter capabilities and allows the 2nd MDTF All Domain Operations Center (ADOC) by synchronizing lethal and non-lethal effects.

U.S. participating units include 2nd MDTF, 10th Mountain Division Artillery, 56th Artillery Command, 41st Field Artillery Brigade, 3-27th Field Artillery Regiment and 21st Theater Sustainment Command.

Military exercises like Arcane Thunder are planned months in advance, and participating nations may change for any number of reasons with little to no notice. For the most up to date information on this exercise, or media interested in covering Arcane Thunder please contact 56th Artillery Command Public Affairs Office at: usarmy.wiesbaden-germany.56-atry-cmd.mbx.pao@army.mil and media@army.mil.

For more information, visit: https://www.56ac.army.mil/Exercises/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/ArcaneThunder