The increasing complexity of military operational environments demands communication networks that are robust, flexible, and resilient. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) offers a promising solution by decoupling the control and data planes, enhancing adaptability and integration with Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) devices. However, the centralized control plane raises resilience concerns, as controller failures—both logical and physical—can compromise the network. This study empirically analyzes SDN control plane resilience in military scenarios, assessing node assimilation and the effects of controller failures and destruction. Emulations using ONOS, Ryu, and Floodlight—individually and combined—show that controller diversity improves network stability, reducing latency, jitter, and packet loss. A hybrid setup with Floodlight and Ryu delivered the best performance, with enhanced recovery and operational continuity under critical failure conditions.