US prepares for virtual exercise in Indo-Pacific

The USAF's 705^th Combat Training Squadron (Distributed Mission Operations Center or DMOC) will perform Exercise Virtual Flag in a synthetic, theatre level, joint combat environment between 15 and 19 August.

The battle management (BM) will focus on replicating a combat environment in the US Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility with the main focus being on agility and sustained C2 capabilities.

‘BM’s joint training audience will consist of personnel operating out of the DMOC and eight distributed sites,’ said the USAF in a 4 August statement.

The exercise will replicate an eight-hour vulnerability window to allow for C2 over time and to enable participants to work through force and BM problems across all domains (land, air, sea, cyber and space).

The USAF said the scenario is constructed to incorporate geographically separated units executing mission-type orders with degraded communications and limited air operations centre connectivity.

Virtual Flag will also include ‘condition-based authorities, which enables tactical C2 units to train mission commanders, contested logistics problem sets, and a dedicated mission planning cell that will operate concurrently with execution,’ the statement said.