U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Are Gearing Up For “Large Scale Global Training Exercise"

USS George H.W. Bush returns to Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, as seen on April 23, 2023. Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot 

Virginia-Pilot: Navy, Marine Corps to conduct second ‘Large Scale Exercise’ — a warfighting simulation  

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are gearing up for the second “Large Scale Exercise,” a global training exercise that uses virtual reality simulations to synchronize naval operations. 

The live, virtual, constructive exercise will use real-world intelligence as part of a simulated scenario, putting 25,000 sailors and marines on a “road to war” in which they interact with each other and adversaries in a cyber battlespace — no different than a multiplayer video game. 

“We want to stress the three- and four-star admirals and their staffs at that operational level with large fleet-centric maneuvers. But we also want to stress all the way down to the individual sailor manning a radar station or marine at a weapons system. This exercise looks to encompass all of that,” said Capt. Chris Narducci of the Fleet Forces Interoperability Division.  

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WNU Editor: This will be a live, virtual exercise that will use real-world intelligence as part of a simulated scenario. The exercise will run from Aug. 9-18. It occurs every two years and spans 50 commands, including six carrier strike groups, three amphibious readiness groups, and 25 submarines and ships.

British Royal Marines Force US Marines Into Humiliating Surrender Halfway Through A Five-Day War Training Exercise In The Mojave Desert

A comparison of Britain's Royal Marines and the United States Marine Corps, who faced off in the training exercise

Daily Mail: Trounced on home turf: British Royal Marine commandos force US Marines into humiliating surrender halfway through five-day war training exercise in Mojave desert 

* British forces took part in a five-day mock battle at the US Marine Corps' Twentynine Palms base in California 

* Combatants used training ammunition along with hi-tech simulators for heavier firepower like artillery 

* Seeing no opportunity for victory, American combatants asked for the exercise to be 'reset' halfway through 

Royal Marines commandos 'dominated' US troops and forced them into a humiliating surrender just days into a mass training exercise in the Mojave desert, it has been revealed today. 

British forces took part in a five-day mock battle at the US Marine Corps' Twentynine Palms base in southern California, one of the largest military training areas in the world, and achieved a decisive victory against their American counterparts. 

The Royal Marines, along with allied forces from Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE, destroyed or rendered inoperable nearly every US asset and finished the exercise holding more than 65 per cent of the training area, after beginning with less than 20 per cent.  

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WNU Editor: Getting beaten on your own home turf must also hurt.

Impressive Video Showcases Serbian Military Exercise

 

Warzone/The Drive: Serbian Helicopters Blow Up Targets In Some Of The Best Anti-Tank Missile Footage We’ve Seen 

Anti-tank missile-slinging Gazelle rotorcraft were just one of the highlights of Serbia’s Joint Action 2020 exercise. 

While the extraordinary display of North Korean military might on show in Kim Il Sung Square was justifiably the focus of much attention last weekend, over in the Balkans the Serbian Armed Forces put on a military showcase that was dramatic in its own way, during the country’s Joint Action 2020 maneuvers. The tactical exercise that took place on October 10, 2020, included a mixture of new and Cold War-era equipment, originating from China, Russia, and Western Europe. While not among the latest weaponry fielded by Serbia, the combination of the French-designed Gazelle attack helicopter and the Soviet-era 9M14M Malyutka missile made for an impressive show of force, as a quartet of the helicopters hovered in formation before unleashing their anti-tank guided missiles in unison, as seen in the accompanying video below. 

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WNU Editor: The above is a very impressive video. A must see video just to watch everything blow-up.

A Pair Of B-52 Bombers Are Showing That They Can Sink Warships

National Interest: A Pair of B-52 Bombers Just Sunk a Destroyer in a Wargame

Two B-52s took off from Fairford and flew south to "hunt" the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG-80), which was one of four of the class of warships that operate from Spain in missile-defense patrols.

The capabilities of the United States Air Force's B-52 Stratofortress have expanded greatly since the aircraft first took flight in the 1950s. The Cold War-era heavy bombers have received regular updates, which could keep the venerable B-52 flying high for decades to come.

In recent months, the B-52s have been deployed around the world from Guam to Europe, and earlier this week two subsonic B-52s – call-signs "Bush 11" and "Bush 12" – flew from the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Fairford and conducted joint exercises with Moroccan Air Force F-16s in a drill to find and "sink" a U.S. Navy destroyer, Forbes.com reported on Tuesday.

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WNU Editor: It is not going to be easy in a real shooting war.

Tensions Heat Up In South China Sea As US And China Conduct Military Exercises (Update)

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) transit the South China Sea on July 6, 2020. US Navy Photo

USNI News: U.S., Chinese Navies Hold Dueling Exercises in the South China Sea

The U.S. and Chinese navies are holding competing naval exercises in the South China Sea, as the Beijing accuses Washington of militarizing the region.

On Saturday, the U.S. Navy’s Reagan and Nimitz carrier strike groups transited from the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea and held the first dual-carrier drills there since 2014.

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its strike group have been involved in near-constant dual-carrier strike group operations since June 21, first with the Theodore Roosevelt CSG and then the Reagan CSG.

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) operated with Nimitz in the Philippine Sea. The exercises follow a lull in U.S. carrier operations in the Western Pacific while Theodore Roosevelt was sidelined in Guam dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.

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WNU Editor: China has already commented on this US Navy exercise .... China says U.S. sent ships to South China Sea to flex its muscles (Reuters). More here .... The U.S.' South China Sea naval drills are both a provocation and a distraction (CGTN)

More News On U.S. And China Conducting Military Exercises In The South China Sea

Tensions heat up in South China Sea as US makes significant show of force -- CNN
Two U.S. aircraft carriers are operating in the South China Sea; Air Force B-52 joins them -- Navy Times
US increasing naval presence in South China Sea as check on China -- NYPost
B-52 bomber joined dual-carrier exercise in the South China Sea, Air Force says -- Stars and Stripes
Beijing slams US for ‘flexing muscles’ in South China Sea as aircraft carriers sent to ‘celebrate Independence Day’ -- RT

These US Army Paratroopers Flew Almost 5,000 Miles To Practice A Long-Range Pacific Island Invasion

Paratroopers of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, demonstrate a joint forcible entry into Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 30 U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox

Business Insider: More than 400 US Army paratroopers flew almost 5,000 miles to practice a long-range Pacific island invasion

US Army Alaska airborne troops flew from Alaska to Guam, where they jumped Tuesday and seized control of the airfield at Andersen Air Force Base in a mock invasion.

The exercise comes amid tensions with rival powers and as the US military attempts to demonstrate its ability to project power at great distances, something it has been doing with bombers and aircraft carriers.

These images show how the mock invasion went down.

Hundreds of US Army paratroopers practiced launching a long-range invasion of a Pacific island on Tuesday as the US military flexes its muscles in the region.

Here's what it looked like.

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WNU Editor:That is what I call projecting power.

U.S. Military To Conduct Large-Scale Exercises To Fend Off Enemy Bomber Aircraft Threatening The U.S.

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Atlantic Ocean, December 12, 2018. US Navy/Mass Comm. Specialist 2nd Class Scott Swofford

Business Insider: The US military is practicing fending off enemy bombers threatening the homeland with fighters and an aircraft carrier in a major exercise

* The US military is conducting a large-scale exercise to test its ability to fend off enemy bomber aircraft threatening the homeland.
* Four US combatant commands and NORAD are coming together for the first time for this exercise, during which fighters supported by aerial refueling tankers will protect US airspace from an approaching bomber.
* "The high-end training we are conducting enables integration between strategic-level organizations who all play a significant role in the most important mission for our nation — defending our homeland," Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of NORTHCOM and NORAD, said in a statement Friday.

The US military is currently putting its ability to protect the homeland from enemy aircraft to the test in a major, first-of-its-kind exercise in the Atlantic from May 28 to May 31, US Northern Command announced Friday.

On offense, a US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) supersonic B-1B Lancer long-range strategic bomber will simulate an adversary bomber aircraft trying to penetrate US airspace, a NORTHCOM spokesman explained.

Playing defense, Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s and US Air Force F-15s under the bilateral Northern Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Navy F/A-18s from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group under US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) will fend off the approaching bomber.

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WNU Editor: This exercise will involve only one enemy bomber. In a real situation I think it will be more than one bomber that will be flying over.

U.S. Navy Ends Its Arctic Exercises In Russia's 'Backyard'

British navy frigate HMS Kent; US Navy guided-missile destroyers USS Roosevelt, USS Porter, and USS Donald Cook; and supply ship USNS Supply in the Arctic Ocean, May 5, 2020. Royal Navy/LPhot Dan Rosenbaum

Business Insider: As US Navy ships wrap up a historic Arctic exercise, Russia's navy sends them off with its own nearby drills

* US and British navy ships sailed out of the Barents Sea on Friday, wrapping up several days of exercises in the Arctic, an area of increasing focus for NATO navies.
* Russia's Northern Fleet has its headquarters and major bases on the Barents Sea, and its ships conducted their own exercises in the sea as the US and British ships finished theirs.
* These photos show the latest in a broader effort by NATO navies to increase their presence in the Arctic and adapt to harsh conditions there.

US Navy ships and a British warship wrapped up seven days of exercises in the Arctic on Friday when they departed the Barents Sea, ending the first trip by US Navy surface ships to that sea since the mid-1980s.

A surface action group of some 1,200 sailors aboard Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided-missile destroyers USS Donald Cook, USS Porter, USS Roosevelt, combat support ship USNS Supply, and British Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent entered the Barents on May 4 for Arctic training.

The exercises were supported by a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.

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WNU Editor: The Russian Navy has started its own exercises in the same region .... Russian Northern Fleet ships to search for enemy submarine in Arctic drills (TASS).

Even In The Middle Of A Pandemic, U.S. Marines Continue To Train In The Persian Gulf

USMC

Warzone/The Drive: U.S. Marines Launch Mock Amphibious And Air Assaults On Saudi Islands In The Persian Gulf

The training exercises come amid a new spike in hostility with Iran, which uses its own nearby islands to stage various naval operations.

U.S. Marine Corps and Navy forces recently conducted mock amphibious and air assaults on a pair of small islands in the Persian Gulf that belong to Saudi Arabia. The exercise came just days after a swarm of small Iranian boats performed dangerously provocative maneuvers around a number of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels during training elsewhere in this same body of water.

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and the Navy's Bataan Amphibious Ready Group conducted the exercises on Karan and Kurayn Islands between Apr. 20 and 22, 2020. For its present deployment, the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group includes the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, the San Antonio class landing platform dock USS New York, and the Harpers Ferry class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill. It is also receiving support from the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Stout.

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WNU Editor: Considering how tense the Persian Gulf and the Middle East is right now, pandemic or not the military needs to be on guard.

US Army Begins Largest War Exercise In Europe Since The Cold War

Stars and Stripes: Army’s biggest exercise in Europe for 25 years begins at US motor pools

STUTTGART, Germany – The largest exercise in Europe for U.S. forces in 25 years will kick off Thursday at motor pools in the U.S., where soldiers will begin loading tanks and other gear for transport to the Continent, the Army said.

About 20,000 pieces of military equipment must be deployed from the U.S. for Defender-Europe 20, which will involve large-scale combat drills and test the military’s ability to rapidly move large numbers of forces across the Atlantic Ocean.

Units from Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Stewart will load vehicles, heavy equipment and supplies for rail transport and onward shipping, the Army said in a statement Tuesday. Defender-Europe will include about 20,000 U.S.-based soldiers, 9,000 European-based U.S. troops, and 8,000 troops from 17 allied nations, the Army said.

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Update #1: US Army Begins Largest War Exercise In Europe In Decades (Zero Hedge)
Update #2: U.S. Army begins movement for Europe’s largest exercise (Defence Blog)

WNU Editor: This exercise will occur over the next few months, and will involve about 37,000 troops.

Watch Russian, Iranian, Chinese Warships Kick Off Joint Naval Exercises (Photos and Video)

Sputnik: Watch Russian, Iranian, Chinese Warships Kick Off Drills in Demonstration of Strength – Photo, Video

The joint naval exercises, taking place in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, are the first of their kind for the Iranian Navy since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

The first footage from the joint Russian-Iranian-Chinese wargames which kicked off Friday has been making its way online, showing joint training, vessels sailing, and Iranian forces welcoming Russian frigate Yaroslav Mudry at Chabahar Port in southeastern Iran, about 415 km southeast of the Strait of Hormuz.

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WNU Editor: This exercise have been completed .... Iran, Russia and China complete all stages of joint naval drills (TASS)

China, Russia, Iran Begin Joint Naval Drills In The Gulf of Oman And The Indian Ocean

Daily Mail: Russia, China and Iran begin unprecedented joint naval exercise in the Middle East amid fears they will take on the US and Western powers

* The nations began joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman
* Waters around Iran have become a focus for international tensions
* Iranian flotilla admiral said the message was 'peace, friendship and security'

Iran, China and Russia began joint naval drills on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, in what Moscow said was an unprecedented exercise in naval cooperation and training.

Waters around Iran have become a focus for international tensions, with the United States exerting pressure for Iranian crude oil sales and other trade ties to be cut off.

'The message of this exercise is peace, friendship and lasting security through cooperation and unity... and its result will be to show that Iran cannot be isolated,' Iranian flotilla admiral Gholamreza Tahani said on state television.

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More News On China, Russia, Iran Beginning Joint Naval Drills In The Gulf of Oman And The Indian Ocean

Russia, China, Iran start joint naval drills in Indian Ocean -- Reuters
China, Russia, Iran begin joint naval drills -- DW
China, Russia and Iran hold joint naval drills in Gulf of Oman -- CNN
Iran Highlights Naval Exercises With Russia,China Amid Isolation -- Radio Farda
China, Russia, Iran start joint naval exercise in Gulf of Oman -- CGTN
Russia, Iran, China Begin Joint Naval Drills in Northern Part of Indian Ocean -- Sputnik

China, Russia And Iran To Hold Joint Naval Drills This Friday In The Indian Ocean And Gulf of Oman

Yuri Smityuk / TASS

Reuters: China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills from Friday

BEIJING (Reuters) - China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China’s defense ministry said on Thursday，amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States.

China will send the Xining, a guided missile destroyer, to the drills, which will last until Monday and are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries’ navies, ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a monthly news briefing.

The drill was a “normal military exchange” between the three armed forces and was in line with international law and practices, Wu said.

“It is not necessarily connected with the regional situation,” he said, without elaborating.

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More News On China, Russia And Iran Holding Joint Naval Drills This Friday

China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval exercise -- Xinhuanet
Iran to conduct naval drills with China and Russia -- Navy Times/AP
China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills -- CNA/AFP
Russia, China and Iran to hold joint naval drills in the Middle East amid heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz -- Daily Mail
China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills -- AFP
China sends guided missile destroyer for joint drills with Russia and Iran -- National Post/Reuters
Tehran convenes allies against threats that include US -- Al-Monitor
Joint Chinese-Iranian-Russian naval drills support balance of power -- Andrew Korybko, CGTN

U.S. To Hold Largest Europe Exercises In 25 Years

Reuters: Cold War redux? U.S. to hold largest Europe exercises in 25 years

* 20,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Europe for 'Defender'
* U.S. presence in Europe growing as Trump criticises allies

The United States will send 20,000 troops to Europe next April and May in its biggest military exercises on European soil since the Cold War to underscore Washington's commitment to NATO, a senior allied commander said on Tuesday.

Days after a NATO summit in London at which U.S. President Donald Trump called low-spending European allies "delinquent", U.S. Major General Barre Seguin said the exercises, centred on Germany, will be the largest of their kind in 25 years.

"This really demonstrates transatlantic unity and the U.S. commitment to NATO," Seguin, who oversees allied operations from NATO's military headquarters in Belgium, told Reuters.

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Update: US Army preparing biggest European deployment in years (France 24)

WNU Editor: Only 20,000 US troops will be deployed to Europe for this exercise. During the Cold War exercises commonly involved a  hundred thousand soldiers (if not more). Just last year Russia did a massive military exercise with China and Mongolia that involved three hundred thousand soldiers .... These Are The Weapon Systems To Watch For At The Vostok 2018 War Games (September 10, 2018). In the whole scheme of things, this is actually a small exercise.

The Pentagon Just Tested On What Would Happen If Its Air Ops Center In Qatar Is Attacked

A view of the CAOC at Al Udeid during the exercise, empty for the first time in 13 years. USAF via The Washington Post

Warzone/The Drive: Air Force Just Tested Its Big Backup Plan If Its Air Ops Center In Qatar Gets Attacked

The exercise demonstrated the ability to quickly shift command and control tasks to a base in the United States, if necessary.

The U.S. Air Force shut down its nerve center for air operations all the way from Syria to Afghanistan for a day, and had airmen in South Carolina take over the management of those activities, as part of an extremely important exercise over the weekend. This is the first time in more than a decade that the so-called Combined Air Operations Center, or CAOC, in Qatar was not in control of regional operations. The decision to test this ability to shift responsibility to a command center in the United States came amid increased tensions with Iran following unprecedented suicide drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Air Force's growing concerns, in general, about the vulnerabilities of known bases to enemy strikes in any major conflict.

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WNU Editor: In any major conflict with Iran, the number one target for Iran will definitely be this air ops center in Qatar.

Russia Conducts Massive Military Drills With China, India And Pakistan (As Well As Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan And Uzbekistan)

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, President Vladimir Putin, and Valery Gerasimov (L-R), Russia’s First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, observe the main stage of the Vostok 2018 military excercises held jointly by the Russian Armed Forces and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the Tsugol range.

Alexei Nikolsky, TASS

CNBC: Russia conducts massive military drills with China, sending a message to the West

* Russia is carrying out a series of large-scale military exercises with China, India and Pakistan in what experts believe is Moscow trying to send a powerful message to the West.
* The military drills take place annually but Russia has upped the ante this year by inviting forces from China, India and Pakistan (as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) to take part in the drills.
* The exercises are not directed at any other country, Russia said.

Russia is carrying out a series of large-scale military exercises with China, India and Pakistan in what experts believe is Moscow trying to send a powerful message to the West.

The military drills take place annually but Russia has upped the ante this year by inviting forces from China, India and Pakistan (as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) to take part in the drills.

The exercises will involve 128,000 military personnel, more than 20,000 weapons and military equipment, about 600 aircraft and up to 15 ships and support vessels, according to the Russian defense ministry. The drills are designed to test the combat-readiness of the military command and troops within the central military district in Russia (hence being called “Tsentr-2019”) and will also see the country test its military capabilities in the Arctic.

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WNU Editor: This exercise involves all the major powers in central Asia.

Soviet Armoured Units Spotted Outside Eielson Air Force Base In Alaska During Military Exercises

Now see @EielsonAirForce Eielson Yukon Training Area's SA-13 "Gopher" SAM used in RED FLAG-Alaska. Story by @usairforce, photos by airman Isaac Johnson: https://t.co/23YL9cZshe #AirDominance pic.twitter.com/3qRVp4PrZc

— James Drew (@StrikeWriter) August 13, 2019

Sputnik: Soviet Armoured Units Spotted in Alaska

The units were spotted outside Eielson Air Force Base near the US-Russian border.

A pair of Soviet-era armoured air defence systems and at least one US Air Force F-16 with a colour scheme designed to look like the ones used by the Russian air force have been spotted during a recent US Air Force drill in Alaska.

The Soviet mobile air defence units involved included a 9K35 Strela-10 (NATO reporting name SA-13 Gopher) surface-to-air-missile (SAM) system, along with a 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) SAM, with the systems designed “to replicate various threats” to US aircraft and meant to ensure “a realistic training experience,” according to Defence Blog.

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Update: Russian surface-to-air missile systems took part in recent U.S. Air Force exercise (Defence Blog)

WNU Editor: The one US Air Force F-16 with a colour scheme designed to look like the ones used by the Russian air force looks cool (see below).

The world’s highest gas station. We’ve enjoyed having our joint force and international partners here for Red Flag-Alaska 19-3. Aerial refueling is but one component we train on but it’s critically important to ensuring the readiness of our forces to deploy at a moment’s notice. pic.twitter.com/zE9tQUAnMV

— Eielson Air Force Base (@EielsonAirForce) August 14, 2019

U.S. To Replace Large-Scale Military Drills With South Korea With Smaller Ones

The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Picture taken on August 23, 2016. Courtesy Ken Scar/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

NBC: U.S. to end large-scale military drills with South Korea

The move is part of the Trump administration's effort to ease tensions with North Korea, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. military is preparing to announce that annual large-scale joint exercises conducted with South Korea every spring will no longer be held, according to two U.S. defense officials.

The major U.S.-South Korea exercises are being curtailed as part of the Trump administration's effort to ease tensions with North Korea, the officials said. The exercises — known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle — will be replaced with smaller, mission-specific training, according to the officials.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained about the large-scale exercises, saying they're too costly and the U.S. bears too much of the financial burden.

The military has carried out the major exercises as much for deterring the North Korean regime as maintaining troop readiness, according to senior defense officials.

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WNU Editor: President Trump has been a critic of these drills for a long time .... Trump: Playing war games with South Korea is ‘fun’ but too expensive (Washington Examiner).

U.S. Navy's Use Of Dynamic Force Employment Is Confusing U.S. Adversaries

Sailors signal an E-2D Hawkeye ready for launch on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. US Navy/Mass Comm. Specialist 2nd Class Thomas Gooley

Business Insider: The Navy's top officer in Europe says the US' new strategy has already duped the Russians

* The US Navy has emphasized dynamic force employment as a method to seem more unpredictable to foes.
* The Truman carrier strike group was the first to deployed under that new kind of employment.
* According to the Navy's top officer in Europe, the method has already confused US adversaries.

The National Defense Strategy document released in January emphasized dynamic force employment as a method to maintain the US Navy's combat capabilities while changing the duration and intensity of its deployments.

It was intended to be "strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable."

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WNU Editor: The Russians sometimes employs this type of method to confuse Western  observers. It keeps everyone on their toes.

U.S. Air Force Conducting Massive Exercises Across The U.S.

The sound of 26 C-130s prepping for take off #USAF #FREEDOM pic.twitter.com/hO6od7tvZQ

— Chandler Cody (@AChandlerCody) December 9, 2018

Warzone/The Drive: Conga Lines Of USAF Airlifters Filled The Night Sky Across U.S. For Joint Forcible Entry Drill

No, those lights in the sky aren't Santa and company on a dry run. They're the U.S. Air Force practicing to make good on its own naughty or nice list.

t's that time a year again! Air Mobility Command's airlifters have hit the skies en masse under the cover of night to fly across the U.S. and into the vast military training ranges in the American Southwest. The goal is to simulate prying open the enemy's back door and setting up combat shop on their lawn as part of an annual drill called Joint Forcible Entry Exercise (JFEX).

Our plane tracking friends started catching the peculiar streams of Air Force cargo aircraft popping up on their flight tracking software earlier in the evening. Within a short amount of time, it was clear that a major exercise was underway and the timing is perfect for this iteration of JFEX.

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Update: Large-Scale USAF War Drill Over Nevada Simulated Forcible Entry Maneuver: War Preparations (Zero Hedge)

WNU Editor: It makes you wonder on who is the USAF preparing to invade?