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Space Force leads first training exercise since its inception

Maj. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Headquarters United States Space Force deputy commander, signs three USSF recruits contracts at the Denver Military Entrance Processing Station Oct. 20, 2020.  Photo by Haley N. Blevins/U.S. Space Force
Maj. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Headquarters United States Space Force deputy commander, signs three USSF recruits contracts at the Denver Military Entrance Processing Station Oct. 20, 2020.  Photo by Haley N. Blevins/U.S. Space Force

Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Space Force led Schriever Wargame, a two-day space training event attended by 200 people from eight countries, which concluded last week.

The wargame began in 2001 under Air Force Space Command, and this week's event was the 14th iteration of the exercise -- and the first under the direction of the newly-created service.

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"Today's partnerships are vital in the contested space environment to strengthen our integration and interoperability along with promoting the peaceful use and development of space," said Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, Commander, Space Operations Command, USSF.

This year's wargame included participants from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom as well as the U.S.

This year's exercise was completed virtually via the Battlefield Information Exploitation and Collection System due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The training event is designed to explore critical space issues to include investigating military utility of new space systems, identifying solutions to common challenges and advancing space support in air, land, sea, space and cyberspace doctrine.

The event was divided into two segments this year, including a deep dive in September and the Capstone Coalition Council this week.

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The latter was chaired by Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, USSF.

"Space is critical to international stability, and our use of space helps keep our countries safe, protects lives, and supports our everyday way of life. Adversaries, such as Russia and China, are actively developing counter-space capabilities to deny U.S. and our partners the advantages of space in a crisis or conflict," U.S. Army Gen. James H. Dickinson, USSPACECOM commander, said. "The U.S. will not go it alone in space, and Schriever Wargame is just one way we work alongside our Allies and partners to help us retain space superiority, deliver space-based effects to the warfighter, and ensure there is never a day without space."

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