A tiny, hardly perceptible dot emerges close to the late afternoon sun, dazzling before scuttling beneath a cloud. Soon, as it descends slowly, the tiny dot transforms into a sleek, little unmanned aircraft.
The airplane lands quietly on a runway in the Philippines during hot weather without wind. The Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000 platform had been over the South China Sea collecting data for the U.S. for most of the day. Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force's Extended Range Sensing and Effects Company. The 1st MDTF is testing its organization in the Philippines through a military exercise called Balikatan to find the best assets for supporting joint and coalition troops in scenarios with limited regional access. The American and Philippine armed forces conducted a bilateral practice from April 11 to May 9.
Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, is south of Basco, a volcanic island in the Batanes island group, where the ERSE Company set up camp. On a clear day, Taiwan is visible from a few of the island's high points. The tiny commercial airport that receives a few flights daily is adjacent to the company's air-conditioned tent, where it operated. The company has a unit building a warehouse on Itbayat Island, which is located farther north. The company's position was as far north as the annual exercise has ever been.
Maj. Seth Holt's main objective is to support a flexible and customizable multidomain task force. His company monitors the electromagnetic spectrum up to 100,000 feet. Possessing the spectrum is important for control over communication and missile guidance. The unit has three platoons: electronic warfare, unmanned aerial vehicles, and high-altitude tools.
