The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), played host to the 2024 Thor’s Hammer NATO military exercise in May and June, marking the first time this biennial electronic warfare event has been held in the United States. The exercise, which took place at Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana, focused on testing the compatibility and effectiveness of Counter-Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (C-RCIED) and Counter-Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-sUAS).
Thor’s Hammer, which began in 2015 and has previously been held in Norway, Sweden and Australia, is designed to assess and improve the interoperability of electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems across NATO member states. The 2024 iteration of the exercise was especially significant as it provided the first opportunity for testing in an urban environment, offering a more realistic simulation of operational battlefield conditions.
“One of the best aspects about picking NSWC Crane is that they have worked on their test infrastructure over the years,” said Michael Alperi, Deputy Program Manager of Expeditionary Missions Program Office and Chairman of NATO Subgroup One. “Camp Atterbury, and specifically Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, provide the first opportunity for countries to test in an urban environment. This is the most realistic test we’ve ever done since starting the event in 2015. This application of testing allows us to really understand how our systems work in real operational battle.”
The exercise at Camp Atterbury focused on enhancing the effectiveness of systems against small UAS and IED threats, while the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center facilitated simultaneous testing in a complex urban environment. This setting enabled better collaboration among NATO partners and provided insights into optimising the deployment of diverse ECM systems.
“Thor’s Hammer presents the opportunity to understand how systems will behave when operating together,” said Thomas Talbert, Trial Manager for the 2024 exercise and an NSWC Crane employee. “The understanding gained concerning the compatibility and interoperability of the multiple nations’ systems has saved lives and will continue to save lives into the future. The ability to collaborate with other engineers, scientists, and operators allows for the improvement of each countries’ ECM systems performance.”
The need for international collaboration
With the threat of UAS and IEDs becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly in environments characterised by guerra eletrónica, the need for effective ECM de-confliction has become a crucial pre-deployment activity. Thor’s Hammer aims to address these challenges by allowing systems from different nations to be tested side by side, identifying opportunities for collaboration and performance enhancement in coalition settings.
Since its inception, Thor’s Hammer has grown significantly, with 14 nations participating in the 2024 exercise, up from just five in 2015. The event brought together more than 200 U.S. and foreign personnel, supported by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the U.S. Army, NSWC Crane, the Indiana National Guard and the State of Indiana.
“Indiana has been a fantastic partner for this event. The support we’ve received from the State of Indiana, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Applied Investigação Institute Inc., and the National Guard has been incredible to help execute,” said Alperi.
“VIP Day highlighted the importance and mutual benefit of collaboration and how to apply data from standard testing at Camp Atterbury into an urban environment. Demonstrations were provided on the importance of ECM, Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) and the interoperability of systems. I’m sure the Thor’s Hammer Group will want to come back to Indiana again to conduct this type of testing in the near future.”
Dr. Angela Lewis, SES, the Technical Director at NSWC Crane, emphasised the significance of hosting such a high-profile event in Indiana. “It is great to be able to host such a significant event in Indiana. We can’t do it alone, it takes the NATO partners together to counter current threats. Thor’s Hammer 2024 provided real-world testing environments, enhanced warfighter capability and enabled improvement in warfighter safety.”
As Thor’s Hammer continues to evolve, the exercise remains focused on keeping pace with emerging threats and enhancing the capabilities of coalition forces.
“Thor’s Hammer allows the participating nations to test in an environment that is not available in their home country, test against different devices and collaborate in an atmosphere that occurs when personnel understand and trust each other’s skills and abilities,” Talbert noted.
Lyndon Theodore “LT” Snider, TH24 Focal Point Lead, underscored the importance of the event in strengthening international military cooperation:
“In a time when the criticality of international military cooperation cannot be overstated, Thor’s Hammer 2024 brought participating nations together to sharpen coalition capabilities in ground electronic warfare,” said Snider. “The event exemplified the cooperative spirit of partner nations who share the common goal of ensuring success on the battlefield and the survivability of troops and equipment.”
Post Image – A piece of NATO electronic warfare equipment used in Allied Air Forces exercises in 2023 (Post Image Credit: NATO)
