U.S. Army Conducts First Battalion-level, All-domain Home Station Training Exercise

During the U.S. Army’s first battalion-level All-Domain Home Station Training event—Static Focus 3—the 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion (1st MDEB) successfully operated Kraus Hamdani Aerospace’s K1000ULE unmanned aerial system independently for the first time.

The exercise, held at Yakima Training Center in conjunction with Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), marked a turning point in the unit’s ability to field ultra-long endurance UAS for reconnaissance and deep sensing missions.

Soldiers assigned to the Extended Range and Sensing Effects (ERSE) Company logged over 100 flight hours with the K1000ULE in various configurations, including multi-ship operations. According to unit leadership and UAS operators, the system demonstrated a minimal maintenance burden, rapid training time, and advanced autonomy, freeing operators to focus on mission execution rather than constant control.

Prior to this milestone, KHA supported the unit’s two-year training progression, enabling seamless transfer of operations to Army personnel. The exercise also integrated high-altitude balloons in constellation with the K1000ULE to extend sensing and surveillance capability across domains. Static Focus 3 served as both a technical rehearsal and a cost-effective alternative to training at Fort Huachuca, helping the Army prepare its MDTFs for future Indo-Pacific operations.

Read the full article at U.S. Army

Story by Staff Sgt. Brandon Rickert