A Soldier performs advanced biological material analysis in low-visibility conditions during the recent Arctic Edge 24 exercise in Alaska. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
THE WATCH STAFF
U.S. Army Special Forces successfully completed experiments with the latest technology for sampling, detecting and monitoring biological material in harsh conditions during the recent Arctic Edge 24 exercise in Alaska. The latest iteration of Exercise Able Warrior demonstrated U.S. capabilities to defend against chemical, biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats to the homeland.
“SOCOM J37 Exercise Able Warrior provides opportunities to focus attention on CBRN capabilities, assess CCMDs [unified combatant commands] CWMD [Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction]CBRN efforts, and conduct experimentation to achieve national, strategic, and supported CCMD objectives,” stated an after action report from U.S. Special Operations Command [USSOCOM] in March 2024. “This effort is aligned to demonstrate SOF [Special Operations Forces] value proposition to the Joint Force by setting the conditions in the global exercise competition continuum.”
The exercise took place in the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) Permafrost Tunnels in Fox, Alaska, between February 19, 2024, and February 27, 2024. The tunnels let the troops run the experiments in challenging conditions: operating in an underground facility, which is normally difficult, with the added hurdle of extreme cold. The ambient temperatures ranged from -15 Fahrenheit to 5 Fahrenheit. In the tunnels, the Soldiers conducted field test of Far-Forward Advanced Sequencing Technology (F-FAST), which allows for quick detection of biological agents. The F-FAST system was developed by the U.S. Army Development Command-Chemical Biological Center and sponsored by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 82nd Chemical Reconnaissance Detachment (CRD) completed the primary tasks, developing procedures for sampling, detecting and monitoring using F-FAST’s DNA sequencing system. A mock biological facility provided the backdrop for the team to collect and quickly analyze different simulated bio-agents. They also analyzed ancient Arctic permafrost samples, recently sequenced by the Naval Research Laboratory. During the exercise, the detachment continually refined its methods within increasingly complex scenarios, according to the after action report.
“A number of firsts were accomplished during the experimentation: field testing of newly sequenced ancient bacteria cultured from the permafrost, field expedient techniques to thaw frozen samples and reagents, sample preparation to sequencing analysis in the dark, sequencing analysis in the snow, performing decontamination of the sequencing device, and improved sensitive site exploitation in a very cold and austere environment,” the report stated. “Despite the challenges provided by Alaska’s austere environment, the F-FAST non-targeted DNA sequencing system proved to be a game-changing far-forward biological identification tool.”
The importance of new approaches to domain awareness in the Arctic, bolstered by technology like F-FAST, was noted by Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in his recent remarks to Congress. “The rapid pace of change in the strategic environment, to include advancing kinetic and non-kinetic threats and the increasing exploitation of the information space, give reason to believe that successful defense of the homeland tomorrow requires new approaches, technologies and perspectives. As competitors increasingly focus on holding the homeland at risk in an effort to influence U.S. and allied decision-making and limit our options for intervention in overseas crises, USNORTHCOM and NORAD are taking active measures today to ensure the ability of the commands to defend the homelands in the future,” Guillot said in testimony on March 12, 2024, before the House Armed Services Committee.