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505th Command and Control Wing News

Coalition Virtual Flag provides joint, coalition military members state-of-the-art exercise experience

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M --  Military members from around the world are preparing to head to cyberspace to train and hone their warfighting skills.

The training -- an annual event called Coalition Virtual Flag, which takes place Sept. 11-19 -- provides joint and coalition military members the opportunity for a large-force exercise experience to help prepare them for real-world major combat operations.

"We have constructed a giant virtual battlefield and will provide a very robust simulation," said Capt. Matthew Steele, exercise director from the 705th Combat Training Squadron. "It's an affordable and effective way to prepare our warfighters for real-world scenarios."

Simulators are linked together on a network maintained and operated at the Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland to merge tactical- and operational-level training. It lasts seven days and links together simulators from 23 different locations all over the world - including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom - with about 400 participants.

Steele said there are fewer and fewer live opportunities to train due to budget constraints, but Coalition Virtual Flag offers a realistic and affordable way for units to practice tactics, techniques and procedures against virtual combatants, including aircraft, ships, tanks and troops.

"We are always developing new ways to combat the enemy," he said. "This exercise is a chance to try out new tactics, techniques and procedures without putting people and assets at risk."

The exercise is designed to train warfighters for combined air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace operations in contested, degraded and operationally limited environments.

The scenario is a major theater war designed to focus on joint, coalition and multi-weapon system integration. The primary focus areas are command and control, close air support, and air operations in maritime surface warfare. Others include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, integrated air and missile defense, interdiction, airlift, special operations, and space integration.

Aggressors from the 57th Adversary Tactics Group from Nellis and a weapons and tactics instructor from MCAS Yuma will be flying constructive enemy forces from the DMOC to emulate robust, integrated enemy tactics.

"It's a thinking and reacting enemy," Steele said. "They do things to help the participants learn, like find and exploit weaknesses."

Steele said the DMOC here is the only venue in the Air Force to conduct exercises to this magnitude.

"The fact we have a virtual exercises that has joint and coalition partners makes the DMOC a unique capability that is invaluable to the Air Force," Steele said.

In addition to the upcoming exercise, the DMOC hosts three regular virtual flags each year and several other training events.

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Coalition Virtual Flag provides joint, coalition military members state-of-the-art exercise experience

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M --  Military members from around the world are preparing to head to cyberspace to train and hone their warfighting skills.

The training -- an annual event called Coalition Virtual Flag, which takes place Sept. 11-19 -- provides joint and coalition military members the opportunity for a large-force exercise experience to help prepare them for real-world major combat operations.

"We have constructed a giant virtual battlefield and will provide a very robust simulation," said Capt. Matthew Steele, exercise director from the 705th Combat Training Squadron. "It's an affordable and effective way to prepare our warfighters for real-world scenarios."

Simulators are linked together on a network maintained and operated at the Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland to merge tactical- and operational-level training. It lasts seven days and links together simulators from 23 different locations all over the world - including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom - with about 400 participants.

Steele said there are fewer and fewer live opportunities to train due to budget constraints, but Coalition Virtual Flag offers a realistic and affordable way for units to practice tactics, techniques and procedures against virtual combatants, including aircraft, ships, tanks and troops.

"We are always developing new ways to combat the enemy," he said. "This exercise is a chance to try out new tactics, techniques and procedures without putting people and assets at risk."

The exercise is designed to train warfighters for combined air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace operations in contested, degraded and operationally limited environments.

The scenario is a major theater war designed to focus on joint, coalition and multi-weapon system integration. The primary focus areas are command and control, close air support, and air operations in maritime surface warfare. Others include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, integrated air and missile defense, interdiction, airlift, special operations, and space integration.

Aggressors from the 57th Adversary Tactics Group from Nellis and a weapons and tactics instructor from MCAS Yuma will be flying constructive enemy forces from the DMOC to emulate robust, integrated enemy tactics.

"It's a thinking and reacting enemy," Steele said. "They do things to help the participants learn, like find and exploit weaknesses."

Steele said the DMOC here is the only venue in the Air Force to conduct exercises to this magnitude.

"The fact we have a virtual exercises that has joint and coalition partners makes the DMOC a unique capability that is invaluable to the Air Force," Steele said.

In addition to the upcoming exercise, the DMOC hosts three regular virtual flags each year and several other training events.