Since August 2021, the West Desert Test Center (WDTC) has served as a critical engine for modernization, partnering with Joint Project Manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (JPM CBRN) Protection on the Desert Phantom and Desert Tempest initiatives. With the successful completion of Desert Tempest 2026, WDTC marks its eighth major supported event, delivering over $3 million in customer-driven testing execution. These initiatives provide a vital, non-attributional sandbox for JPM CBRN Protection. Within this environment, developers can push emerging and immature technologies—potential future programs of record—through rigorous experimentation without penalty. A cornerstone of these exercises is WDTC’s exclusive ability to conduct contamination and decontamination trials using both tracked and wheeled tactical vehicles. This unmatched capability remains a primary driver for testing and innovation. Ultimately, Desert Tempest and Desert Phantom bridge the gap between the laboratory and the battlefield. They provide Product Leads, Product Managers, and Joint Science and Technology partners with recurring access to Department of War (DoW) equipment, specialized test environments, and, most importantly, warfighters. This early, consistent user-touchpoint ensures that developing capabilities undergo operationally realistic assessments at both the component and system levels. Desert Tempest 2026 put these principles into action through seven dynamic excursions. Soldiers from the 76th Operational Response Command and Marines from the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) took the lead, putting Systems Under Test (SUT) through their paces. Their hands-on participation delivered vital preliminary data and direct Warfighter feedback, ensuring future CBRN defenses are built to perform precisely as intended in combat. These seven excursions include: (1) Quick Urban Industrial Complex – Near Field Downwind Hazard Model VV. (QUCI NFDHM) (2) UIPE General Purpose Glove (GPG) (3) Autonomous Vehicle Decontamination (AVD) (4) Tactical Contamination Mitigation System (TCMS) (5) Semi-Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Decontamination (SAAVD) (6) Sensor Classification and Inference Network (SCINET) (7) Overcoats.