Forging Lethality Through Innovation

Electromagnetic Warfare and Multi-Domain Integration in the 116th IBCT’s Transition to a Mobile Brigade Combat Team

By 1LT Miguel Bustillo and SGT Taylor Hodge

July 20, 2026 | Gray Space, Summer 2026 Edition

Read Time: < 11 mins

Background

The Virginia Army National Guard’s (VAARNG) historic 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 29th Infantry Division (ID) was one of two National Guard units selected to participate in Transforming in Contact (TiC) 2.0. The brigade’s transition to a mobile brigade combat team (MBCT) is underlined with the core intent of being “Light, Lean, and Lethal.” The planned restructuring will dissolve the Military Intelligence Company (MICO) and the Cavalry (CAV) Squadron; however, the talented and diverse military occupational specialties (MOS) will be redistributed across the force. The 29th Infantry Division will house most of the military intelligence (MI) capabilities, and the CAV will reduce into the new Multi-Function Reconnaissance Company (MFRC) with Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) and Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (TUAS) Platoons from the MICO. The 116th was notified of the changes less than six months prior to the June 2025 eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) event. The short-notice nature of the MBCT transition was immediately met with equipment shortcomings. As a result, the EW Platoon adopted a stopgap approach by attempting to leverage low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions to fill capability gaps. This resourceful mindset catalyzed a partnership with the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), which was actively seeking operational feedback for experimental equipment. ARL’s need for field-testing equipment was matched by the platoon’s need for additional EW-sensing capabilities.

This collaboration, born out of necessity, exemplifies the value of Army National Guard units undergoing TiC 2.0. National Guardsmen fully epitomize the meaning of Citizen-Soldiers. Component Two Soldiers bring deep civilian expertise and professional networks that enable them to adapt quickly, innovate effectively, and bridge gaps between concept and capability, all of which offer a unique perspective and depth of expertise rarely matched in the active component.

In this article, we will be narrating from the perspective of the EW Platoon Leader operating within the new MFRC. XCTC offered several valuable insights regarding the role of electromagnetic warfare and multi-domain integration within the MFRC and MBCT. This article focuses on four key takeaways:

1. Intelligence Drives Targeting—Timely, multi-discipline intelligence is essential to enabling precision effects and shaping the battlefield.

2. External Partnerships Accelerate Capability—Collaboration with organizations like the ARL enables rapid prototyping, testing, and fielding of relevant capabilities.

3. The Power of Component Two—The National Guard’s Citizen-Soldiers bring unique civilian expertise and professional networks, offering agility and innovation unmatched by traditional force structures.

4. Effects are the MFRC’s Lethal Edge—The most casualty-producing element in the MFRC is the Effects Platoon; therefore, all other MFRC components must orient their support toward enabling its success.

Operational Naming Context: Origin of BANANA Operations

The Liberation of the Banana Republic consisted of a series of operations conducted during XCTC that utilized the full breadth of capabilities that lie within MI and the MFRC. Although tongue-in-cheek, the term banana alludes to a successful mission conducted by Joint Readiness Training Center’s Geronimo psychological operations (PSYOPS) cell. The mission was an unconventional deception operation in which a Soldier, wearing a Hawaiian shirt adorned with bananas, covertly infiltrated enemy territory by misrepresenting the Soldier’s identity and intent. Through this deceptive approach, this Soldier was able to elicit critical information from opposing Soldiers regarding the location of the enemy brigade’s command post (CP), directly enabling coordinated fires.

Operation BANANA MAN: Intelligence Integration at the Tactical Edge

The first phase of The Liberation of the Banana Republic was appropriately named BANANA MAN. During the initial crawl phase of XCTC, the EW Platoon identified a critical shortfall: We lacked the essential intelligence required to fully enable the MFRC. Specifically, we were missing the enemy’s electronic order of battle (EOB), which includes their electronic composition, disposition, equipment, and operating frequencies. As one of the primary MOSs within the MFRC authorized to hold Top Secret clearances, EW Soldiers assumed the responsibility of coordinating with the Military Intelligence Company to fill this gap. The MICO offers an extensive portfolio of classified resources and collection techniques; the EW Platoon determined that it was only appropriate to leverage these capabilities.

This effort exemplified one of the greatest strengths of being a Citizen-Soldier through the actions of an EW Noncommissioned Officer (NCO). This NCO’s civilian role supports the intelligence community as an Intel Analyst. By leveraging their civilian skillset, the NCO developed doctrinally sound source-directed requirements (SDRs), enabling human intelligence (HUMINT) collectors to target and acquire the precise intelligence needed to satisfy the enemy’s EOB and support the MFRC’s mission. Not only was BANANA MAN overwhelmingly successful but the intel collected also directly translated to operational impact.

The HUMINT collectors ultimately exploited the adversary’s operational security (OPSEC), leading to the disclosure of a wealth of actionable intel. In short, the collection successfully fulfilled EW’s SDRs and revealed the location of the adversary’s main CP prior to the culminating field-training exercise. This initial collection effort served as the catalyst for a fully integrated, multi-discipline intelligence collaboration. Signals intelligence analysts refined the EOB, identifying emitter types and signal patterns with greater fidelity. Geospatial intelligence analysts contributed by delivering almost real-time satellite imagery and terrain analysis of the adversary’s area of operations (AO). All-source analysts then synthesized these inputs, along with HUMINT reporting, to produce a comprehensive, fused intelligence picture that directly informed targeting and maneuver planning.

Concurrent with the execution of BANANA MAN was the planning and development of the second phase of The Liberation of the Banana Republic, BANANA STRIKE. The execution of this phase centered around a nine-person MFRC strike team tasked with covertly infiltrating behind enemy lines; the team utilized a combination of Army-issued, COTS, and ARL-provided equipment to find, fix, and finish the adversary’s main CP. EW Platoon leadership worked in close coordination with the MICO, continuously refining the strike concept as new intelligence products were developed. OPSEC was treated with the highest priority throughout the planning process. A dedicated special-access program designated the BANANA subcompartment was established to protect sensitive details, featuring a formal read-on list and strict need-to-know enforcement. To preserve the integrity of the operation’s planning and development, program access was tightly controlled and granted strictly based on operational necessity. This deliberate approach was applied uniformly, regardless of rank or position. Using this approach ensured BANANA STRIKE had all the resources and support it required, including friendly deconflictions—both land and airspace—and priority of fires. Additionally, all discussions related to the operation were restricted to the secure information area within the MICO footprint.

MFRC Integration and Capabilities

As mentioned previously, BANANA STRIKE was executed by a nine-person task force, drawing members from across the various MFRC elements. At the time of this writing, the TiC 2.0 MFRC comprised five distinct platoons:

• RECCE Platoons (2x): dismounted infantry reconnaissance elements

• Effects Platoon: responsible for coordinating and delivering fires support

• EW Platoon: providing electromagnetic situational awareness across the area of operations

• TUAS Platoon: conducting short-to-medium range aerial reconnaissance

Effective utilization and employment of the MFRC requires a comprehensive understanding of its diverse capabilities. Lessons learned from XCTC demonstrated that the MFRC is most effective when operating as an integrated whole rather than as isolated components. The success of the collective MFRC depends on a continuous flow of information, both vertically and laterally, throughout the formation. If the MFRC were to be conceptualized as a network of sensors, this process may be described as tipping and cueing. Notably, these coordinated efforts highlighted the pivotal role of the Effects Platoon, which consistently provided a decisive advantage through its ability to deliver precision fires across the MFRC’s area of operations. This shaping of the battlefield is critical for friendly freedom of movement, maneuver, and follow-on operations. This core concept was demonstrated during operation BANANA STRIKE.

Operation BANANA STRIKE: A Multi-Domain Precision Strike

The BANANA STRIKE taskforce’s primary mission was to find, fix, and finish the adversary’s main CP. This final demonstration was intended to present the integrated outcomes of thorough intelligence analysis, advanced-targeting procedures, external collaboration, innovative approaches, and effective coordination among the diverse capabilities within the MFRC, resulting in a synchronized, cohesive, and timely strike. ARL provided experimental electromagnetic-sensing equipment mounted in and on a 10-foot Sprinter van, which served as both a mobile EW platform and a pseudo urban hide site. Under a relaxed-grooming-standard memorandum, EW personnel operated in civilian attire to reinforce the narrative that they were ARL contractors, which added a layer of deception in the event of compromise. Upon infiltration, the team occupied a predesignated observation post (OP) and immediately established local security through a listening and observation element from the RECCE Platoon’s representatives. Once secure, the EW and TUAS elements began a coordinated sensor-to-sensor search for the enemy CP.

Utilizing the ARL-provided equipment and COTS drones, the teams engaged in real-time tipping and cueing. Within 10 minutes of establishing the observation post, the EW operator identified expected enemy-operating frequencies previously collected during BANANA MAN. The EW operator then generated a line-of-bearing report and passed it to TUAS. Flying along this azimuth, TUAS identified multiple enemy signatures: the suspected CP, a Quick Reaction Force consisting of five vehicles and around 15 personnel, and a Field Litter Ambulance staged in the wood line. These findings were relayed via spot report, prompting immediate preparations for a second TUAS flight. This follow-on sortie was equipped with a lightweight, EW-designed COTS sensor capable of rapid-frequency mapping and war driving. Upon its return, frequency analysis confirmed the CP’s presence, corroborated by the detection of LTE and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signals from a mobile Wi-Fi (MiFi) puck. With positive identification achieved, the effects representative initiated a fires mission using a predesignated brigade fires target from the BANANA STRIKE planning process. Simultaneously, a Switchblade loitering munition was launched from the OP to further saturate and neutralize the objective. Following the strike, TUAS conducted a battle-damage assessment, confirming the destruction of the CP. What began as an experimental integration of emerging technologies culminated in the successful destruction of a brigade-level high-payoff target, all of which was executed by a nine-person squad in just under three hours.

Conclusion

The 116th IBCT’s transformation under the TiC 2.0 framework and its execution during XCTC 2025 represented more than structural change; it was a proving ground for the future of reconnaissance and targeting operations within the MBCT construct. Through operations like BANANA MAN and BANANA STRIKE, the MFRC demonstrated its ability to integrate across domains, fuse intelligence at the tactical edge, and deliver precision effects with minimal personnel and limited organic equipment. These operations served as proof of concept for how an MFRC can function as a networked, agile, and lethal formation. These outcomes underscore the viability of the MFRC as a decisive force multiplier when appropriately resourced, integrated, and empowered. This experience affirmed four critical lessons:

1. Intelligence Drives Targeting—Without a clear understanding of the adversary’s electromagnetic and physical disposition, precision effects are unattainable. The development of doctrinally sound source-directed requirements and synchronization of multi-discipline intelligence demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated collection and analysis.

2. External Partnerships Accelerate Capability—The collaboration with the ARL filled critical gaps in equipment and provided the EW Platoon with experimental technologies that directly enabled mission success. This proved that external partnerships, like the one with ARL, enable units to stay relevant by closing capability gaps through rapid prototyping and a shared purpose. This model of partnership should be replicated across other emerging capability areas.

3. The Power of Component Two—The Citizen-Soldier model proved invaluable, with civilian-acquired skills and professional relationships enhancing adaptability, accelerating problem solving, and bridging institutional gaps.

4. The Effects Platoon is the MFRC’s Lethal Core—All other elements within the MFRC must be synchronized in support of its mission to deliver fires. By streamlining the flow of actionable information to the Effects Platoon, the MFRC ensures fires are delivered with precision and speed to directly shape the operational environment. In complex, multi-domain operations, this unified focus on enabling the Effects Platoon not only amplifies the formation's lethality but also reinforces freedom of maneuver and mission success for the entire force.

XCTC 2025 did not just validate the organizational structure of the MFRC: It validated the operational relevance of multi-domain, sensor-driven, precision-enabled warfare at the tactical level. The MFRC’s success was not due to perfect conditions or abundant resources but rather to a culture of initiative, innovation, and trust. As the Army continues to evolve toward dispersed, fast-paced, and data-driven conflict environments, the MFRC, anchored by its diverse capabilities and adaptive personnel, offers a scalable, mission-focused solution for the future fight. The National Guard stands ready to lead that evolution.