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News | March 18, 2015

U.S. Strategic Command to Conduct Command, Control Exercise

U.S. Strategic Command Public Affairs



OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), one of nine U.S. Unified Commands under the Department of Defense, will conduct Exercise GLOBAL LIGHTNING 15 with components and tasks forces beginning tomorrow. The command is charged with conducting global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, services, and appropriate U.S. Government agencies to deter and detect strategic attacks against the U.S. and its allies, and is prepared to defend the nation as directed.

GLOBAL LIGHTNING 15 is a command and control exercise designed to train Department of Defense forces and assess joint operational readiness. This year, the exercise will be conducted in coordination with U.S. European Command’s Austere Challenge 15, U.S. Africa Command’s Judicious Response 15 and U.S. Transportation Command’s Turbo Challenge 15 to validate current procedures and improve interoperability between each of the combatant commands through a shared notional scenario.

Exercise GLOBAL LIGHTNING provides an opportunity to train headquarters staff, components, operational centers, task forces, command posts, and units to exercise the command and control necessary to deter, and if necessary, defeat a military attack against the U.S. and to employ forces as directed by the president. Additionally, the exercise will provide training opportunities for USSTRATCOM’s other mission areas, including missile defense; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and combating weapons of mass destruction. The exercise has been planned for more than a year and is based on a notional scenario. Timing of the exercise is unrelated to any real-world events.

"The current global strategic security environment is more complex and dynamic than perhaps at any time in our history. Global Lightning 15, and exercises like it, provides invaluable opportunities to assess our joint operational readiness across all of USSTRATCOM’s mission areas," said Adm. Cecil Haney, commander, U.S. Strategic Command. "Linking and incorporating exercises and activities of other combatant commands, allies and partners affords opportunities to practice and hone integrated approaches to 21st Century deterrence. This exercise, along with a continued focus and investment in our strategic capabilities, will allow USSTRATCOM to deter, dissuade, and defeat current and future threats to the U.S. and our allies."