About Arcane Thunder

Arcane Thunder 26 highlights the U.S. Army’s continued refining multi-domain operations and demonstrates how U.S. forces operate alongside NATO Allies and partners to deter adversaries across Europe. The exercise validates the employment and qualification of Multi-Domain Company Teams (MDCTs), integrating cyber, space, electronic warfare, and conventional capabilities to create synchronized multi-domain effects.

Arcane Thunder 26 is a geographically distributed exercise conducted across the United States, Germany, and Poland that links sensors and shooters across domains to enable rapid decision-making and precision effects. The exercise supports NATO regional defense plans and reinforces the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI), demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to deter aggression and defend the Euro-Atlantic region.

Through Arcane Thunder 26, U.S. and Allied forces rehearse the integration of kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to penetrate and disintegrate adversary anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems, enabling freedom of maneuver for the joint force and strengthening NATO’s deterrence posture. 

Arcane Thunder Press Release

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Arcane Thunder Videos

Video by Master Sgt. John Healy
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MDC-E Soldiers test HAB, UAS and Autonomous Vehicle capabilities
Multi-Domain Command – Europe
April 25, 2026 | 0:37
Multi-Domain Command - Europe Soldiers experiment with new technologies and capabilities at Arcane Thunder 26 at the National Training Center (NTC), California, 26 April 2026. This video showcases an unmanned aerial system (UAS) launched from a high altitude balloon (HAB) that is tethered to an autonomous ground vehicle.
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