Around 700 military personnel participated in the “Space Flag 26” exercise in late December—the largest iteration of the exercise to date.

In December, the US Space Force held a large-scale exercise mirroring the operational conditions of a potential conflict with China or Russia.  

About the “Space Flag 26” Exercises

In the closing of 2025, the Space Force concluded a large-scale exercise designed to test the service’s electromagnetic warfare capabilities, as well as those of the Navy and Army. 

The exercise was hosted by the 392nd Combat Training Squadron and included the use of live range emitters employed for real-time signal geolocation. This inclusion of live range emitters allowed participants the opportunity to test their capabilities and gear in real-world conditions.  

“As exercise developers, we want to create a realistic and challenging environment for our players to engage in,” Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Bryce Carlson, the commanding officer of the 392nd CTS, said in a service press release.  

Approximately 700 US military personnel from across the world participated in Space Flag 26, which was the largest iteration of the annual Space Force exercise to date.  

“Using our wide range of modeling and simulation capabilities or through live environments, exercises like Space Flag allow us to stress our players in a combat-like environment and test them to make sure that they can accomplish their mission objectives under a range of conditions,” Carlson added.  

Established in 2019, the Space Force is the military’s newest service and provides space capabilities to the other services, as well as ensuring freedom of operations in the space domain.  

“Our teams are constantly innovating to find ways to provide threat-informed combat training environments to our Guardians and joint operators,” Space Force Colonel Agustin “Rico” Carrero, the commanding officer of Delta 11, stated. “It’s extremely rewarding to be able to demonstrate and improve our Guardians’ warfighting readiness through Space Flag’s increasingly robust virtual environment, ensuring their lethality and decisive action against any adversary.” 

Delta 11 is a Space Force unit responsible for space range and aggressor.  

Venezuela Showed the Value of Electromagnetic Warfare 

In a world where, for hundreds of years, wars have been lost or won by the use of guns, the value of electromagnetic warfare can be vague and even confusing. But although the concept of electromagnetic warfare can appear arcane, it is probably one of the most important warfighting capabilities on the modern battlefield. Put simply, electromagnetic warfare is a struggle between adversaries to control the electromagnetic spectrum to advance their tactical, operational, and strategic goals.   

The most recent example of how valuable electromagnetic warfare is today comes from Venezuela. During Operation Absolute Resolve, the US military used a plethora of electromagnetic warfare capabilities, including aircraft, satellites, and other assets, to map out  Venezuela’s Russian-made air defense capabilities and defeat them, allowing the special operations assault force to pass through and reach President Nicolas Maduro’s compound and capture him.  

In a potential conflict with China or Russia, the US military will rely on these electromagnetic warfare capabilities to counter any Anti-Access, Aerial Denial (A2/AD) systems its adversaries deploy around key territory, including Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Crimean Peninsula, allowing aircraft and warships to enter the fight and deliver their deadly payloads with precision and impunity.

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.   

Image: US Space Force / Dvidshub.

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