U.S. Strategic Command to Conduct Exercise Global Lightning

U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) will conduct Global Lightning 2017, a command and control exercise, with components and tasks forces beginning Tuesday, Feb. 7. The exercise is USSTRATCOM’s annual command post and battle staff exercise that provides valuable training opportunities to Department of Defense (DoD) forces.

The Global Lightning 2017 scenario incorporates a variety of strategic threats to our nation. All USSTRATCOM mission areas will be exercised to ensure the command is ready to provide capabilities to combatant commanders around the globe. It also tests the command’s readiness to confront uncertainty and allows USSTRATCOM forces to train as they would fight.

“The threats we face today are just as real as they were in the past, but are more complex in this interconnected information age. We must be ready to address these threats and prepare to respond to the threats of the future,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, USSTRATCOM commander. “Exercises like Global Lightning test our processes and encourage integration across components, task forces, other combatant command, and with our partners and allies to ensure we are ready to respond whenever our nation calls.”

One of nine DoD unified combatant commands, USSTRATCOM has global strategic missions assigned through the Unified Command Plan that include strategic deterrence; space operations; cyberspace operations; joint electronic warfare; global strike; missile defense; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and analysis and targeting.

In coordination with other combatant commands, services and appropriate U.S. government agencies, USSTRATCOM conducts global operations to deter and detect strategic attacks against the U.S. and its allies, and is prepared to defend the nations as directed.