# Dragon Nexus 26-01: Army Bench Test Documents TCP/IP Node-Scaling Failure and PULSE Protocol Results at Fort Bragg **URL:** \ **Category:** Developing\ **Tags:** army, networking, defense, mesh-networking, terrakinesis, fort-bragg, c2\ **Created:** [June 24, 2026, 2:06am UTC](https://forum.landoffset.com/t/dragon-nexus-26-01-army-bench-test-documents-tcp-ip-node-scaling-failure-and-pulse-protocol-results-at-fort-bragg/461 "2026-06-24T02:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://forum.landoffset.com/uploads/default/original/1X/461c3fb699fff9afe9dbc43189d999b5fa0580cb.png) [@system](https://forum.landoffset.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 2:06am UTC](https://forum.landoffset.com/t/dragon-nexus-26-01-army-bench-test-documents-tcp-ip-node-scaling-failure-and-pulse-protocol-results-at-fort-bragg/461/1 "2026-06-24T02:06:37Z")
The U.S. Army recently conducted Dragon Nexus 26-01 at Fort Bragg, a bench test series initiated by the Common Platform Environment Command and Control (CPE C2) Trail Boss to evaluate emerging software solutions for node-scaling limitations in distributed networking ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). During this event, the Army documented that standard TCP/IP message delivery collapses to zero when pushed past 20 nodes in a contested field environment ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). This limitation currently forces reliance on backhaul solutions such as SATCOM and cellular towers, which are costly and susceptible to jamming ([TerraKinesis, n.d.](https://terrakinesis.com/)). To address this challenge, TerraKinesis, a Detroit-based defense technology company, demonstrated its PULSE protocol ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus); [TerraKinesis, n.d.](https://terrakinesis.com/)). PULSE is a firmware-based, distributed compute protocol that operates without cloud, cellular, or satellite dependencies ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). Utilizing TrellisWare TSM radios on the same waveform and channel with no new hardware, the implementation of PULSE reduced network-management overhead from 30% to 12%, a 60% reduction ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). TerraKinesis projects that deeper TrellisWare integration could drive this reduction close to 95% ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). PULSE operates below the application layer at Layer 3/4 and functions as a surrogate, enabling native Team Awareness Kit (TAK) data to cross the mesh network without a TAK server or an Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) plug-in ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). The protocol utilizes a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) system — which signals only when a message is missing rather than confirming every receipt — and a patent-pending Beehive Grouping architecture that clusters nodes to scale linearly (O(n)) rather than exponentially (O(n²)) ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus); [TerraKinesis, n.d.](https://terrakinesis.com/)). This architecture allows every node to act as a peer and relay messages across a UDP/multicast mesh designed to scale to 1,000 nodes ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus); [TerraKinesis, n.d.](https://terrakinesis.com/)). The Dragon Nexus 26-01 event established PULSE in the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5–6 range, indicating validation in a relevant environment on live tactical hardware ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). The XVIII Airborne Corps — the Army’s contingency response force, required to deploy globally within 18 hours ([U.S. Army, n.d.](https://home.army.mil/bragg/units-tenants/xviii-airborne-co)) — has invited TerraKinesis to participate in Dragon Nexus 26-02 in the fall of 2026, with an expanded scope, an increased number of nodes, and soldier touch points ([Durrani, 2026](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus)). The Army’s broader Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative, supported by a $99.6 million OTA award to Team Anduril, aims to replace siloed warfighting systems with an integrated, scalable data layer across hardware, software, and applications ([PEO C3N public affairs, 2025](https://www.army.mil/article/287180/army_announces_next_generation_command_and_control_ngc2_prototype_award)). * * * ## References Durrani, M. (2026, June 23). _TerraKinesis case study Dragon Nexus 26-01 — XVIII Airborne Corps_. Substack. [TerraKinesis Case Study Dragon Nexus 26-01 — XVIII Airborne Corps](https://open.substack.com/pub/mustafaterrakinesiscom/p/terrakinesis-case-study-dragon-nexus) PEO C3N public affairs. (2025, July 18). _Army announces Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype award_. U.S. Army. [Army announces Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototype award | Article | The United States Army](https://www.army.mil/article/287180/army_announces_next_generation_command_and_control_ngc2_prototype_award) TerraKinesis. (n.d.). _PULSE_. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from [https://terrakinesis.com/](https://terrakinesis.com/) U.S. Army. (n.d.). _XVIII Airborne Corps_. Fort Bragg. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from [https://home.army.mil/bragg/units-tenants/xviii-airborne-co](https://home.army.mil/bragg/units-tenants/xviii-airborne-co) _AI generated_