The Army Reserve’s force design role is evolving from providing depth to delivering agility, innovation, and operational experimentation. Nowhere is this shift more urgent than in combat engineering. As peer adversaries expand anti-access and area-denial capabilities, the Army must integrate robotics into engineer formations to preserve freedom of maneuver and reduce risk to Soldiers across all components.
During Exercise Northern Strike (NS) 2026 at Camp Grayling, Michigan, the Army Reserve will expand upon experimentation efforts conducted during NS 2025.. A Combat Engineer Company–Infantry (CEC-I) will be assessed against a robotics-enabled formation, illustrating how the Reserve can prototype emerging capabilities, inform force design, and contribute directly to Multi-Domain Operations.
Source: DVIDS Marines | Author: Lt. Col. Charles An | Published: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:17:55 -0500