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US Army Drills Nighttime Patriot Missile Reload at Fort Hood to Keep Launchers Firing
U.S. Army soldiers from Delta Battery, 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, practised nighttime Patriot launcher reloads at Fort Hood, Texas, on October 23, 2026. Crews used a modified M985 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck with a heavy-duty crane to lift, position and secure training missile canisters on M903 launching stations. The event formed part of a battalion mission-readiness exercise that evaluated establishing, operating and sustaining Patriot systems, including the logistics needed to replenish launchers. Reduced visibility demanded coordinated movement and continuous communication, while the Army released no reload times, launcher totals or operational interceptor mix.