Exercise Valiant Shield 2014 kicked off with more than 18,000 joint force service members from 30 units, including 200 aircraft and 20 ships in, and around, the island of Guam beginning Sept. 15.
The exercise will demonstrate a wide range of capabilities designed to test the inherent flexibility of joint forces. These capabilities range from maritime security operations, anti-submarine, air defense and space and cyber warfighting proficiencies in an environment that could not be simulated otherwise.
“When you think of the U.S. military in the Pacific, you want credible combat power,” said Rear Adm. Russell Allen, Valiant Shield exercise director. “The true test of a force is its ability to detect, track and engage targets with live sensors and weapons systems. The U.S. military does that more than anyone. Valiant Shield 2014 focuses on integrated training that helps us do it even better.”
Valiant Shield is a U.S.-only, biennial field training exercise with a focus on integration of joint training among U.S. forces. This training enables real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.
The lessons learned from exercises like VS14 help the U.S. develop regional and global power projection capabilities and enhance its ability to defend its interests and those of its allies and partners around the world.
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