One of the Department of Defense’s largest readiness exercises for reserve components, Northern Strike (NS) 25-2, will take place across Michigan from August 2 to 16, 2025. Sponsored by the National Guard Bureau, the exercise will bring together more than 7,500 participants from 36 US states and territories and 9 allied nations.
Hosted at Michigan’s National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC), the exercise will focus on enhancing capabilities in Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercises (CALFEX), Cyberspace and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA), Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO), contested logistics, and expeditionary skills.
This year’s summer iteration will also include homeland security scenarios and defense against UAS, supported by over 30 fixed-wing aircraft conducting force protection, support, and refueling missions.
“This year’s schedule of NS training events reflects the unique capabilities of Michigan and the NADWC to support Department of Defense objectives,” said US Army Major General Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
“We take pride in continuously improving exercise design by integrating innovative technologies, including the testing and evaluation of counter-UAS systems, into dynamic, multi-domain training that meets the evolving needs of commanders across the force.”
Since its inception in 2012, Northern Strike has grown into a scalable, cost-effective, and mission-focused exercise that allows units to complete essential training and readiness tasks. It is sponsored by the Army National Guard and accredited as a Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) exercise.
“NS is unique, not only because of its integration of defense innovators and academia, but because it fully reflects the realities service members are facing on today’s modern battlefield,” said Colonel Todd Fitzpatrick, land exercise director for NS.
“Recent global events have shown just how devastating cruise missiles and small UAS can be to both military and civilian infrastructure. Detection, identification, intercept and destruction of these threats are no-fail missions and NS provides the operational environment to rigorously train for them.”
Echodyne, Strongwatch, Picogrid, Persistent Systems, and Bren-Tronics International Solutions are all participating in the C-UAS aspect of the upcoming exercise.
Beyond its military value, Northern Strike also delivers a significant economic impact, contributing an estimated $38 million annually to Michigan’s economy through military pay, travel, and local spending in northern lower Michigan.
Crédit photographique : Michigan National Guard.
