IVAS in EDGE21 War Games

Exclusive: Utah’s Dugway hosts massive war games involving spy planes, a secret missile and more

A second scenario involved an air assault. This is the one that involved the Blackhawks and smaller drones, which are used for surveillance but also can carry weapons. The soldiers were outfitted by Microsoft-created augmented reality goggles that can show maps, infrared and night vision, and video feeds. As they flew in the back of the Blackhawks, soldiers were able to tap into the camera mounted on the bottom of the copter, allowing them to “see through” the aircraft as it flew. Soldiers said they liked the new technology, but want it to be integrated into equipment they already carry and toughened up to handle real-world scenarios.

The 82nd Airborne troops were the “guinea pigs” for this event, said Pfc. Matthew Zeisler, of Ohio. They had not handled many of these technologies before they arrived May 3 at Dugway. He said it didn’t take long to learn and adapt, but Zeisler found the capabilities to be impressive. He has spent three years in the Army, and he recalled training with a simple rifle.

“This feels like it was off a video game,” he said after the exercise, still loaded up with everything he had in the field. “Here we are with a drone in the air we are controlling off of a tablet.

Among those in attendance for Friday’s demonstration was Utah National Guard’s Maj. Gen. Michael Turley, who said in his 36 years in the service he’s seen the Army go from “medieval warfare techniques to ‘Star Trek.’” His thoughts after watching a classified version of the war games: The National Guard needs to remain in “lockstep” with the active-duty Army as these technologies mature.

He also said it made sense to hold events like EDGE21 at Dugway, where the terrain, including the nearby mountains, offer dynamic opportunities to push these weapons to their limits.

“I would expect to see more of this,” he said. “I hope.”