U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria in Germany conducted a large-scale exercise to rehearse its response to a simulated attack by small unmanned aircraft systems against people and infrastructure.
The exercise took place from September 14 to 18, 2026, at Tower Barracks near Grafenwöhr. The main part of the scenario unfolded on September 16, when the garrison activated its Emergency Operations Center.
During the exercise, personnel developed a common operating picture using an artificial intelligence-enabled platform. They also used a conventional whiteboard in the room and a large map on the floor, DVIDS reported.
Under the scenario, garrison leadership, military personnel, emergency services and civilian partners responded following the drone attack. The exercise involved German police, fire and emergency services, as well as medical personnel from the Bavarian Red Cross. The partners brought firefighting equipment, an incident command vehicle and two ambulances.
The exercise also included assistance for people who were, according to the scenario, affected or displaced by the emergency. An Emergency Family Assistance Center was established for this purpose. In a real serious incident, the center provides service members and their families with information and necessary resources.
The exercise also involved the garrison’s mass warning systems, including the Giant Voice loudspeaker system and the ALERT! notification system.
Before the main phase, the military conducted tabletop exercises to test its response plans and gradually increase the complexity of the scenarios. After the exercise, evaluators from Installation Management Command – Europe discussed with the garrison team which procedures should be sustained and which needed improvement.
