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This is an incomplete list of U.S. Department of Defensecode names primarily the two-word series variety. Officially, Arkin (2005) says that there are three types of code name:
Nicknames – a combination of two separate unassociated and unclassified words (e.g. Polo and Step) assigned to represent a specific program, special access program, exercise, or activity.
Code words – a single classified word (e.g. BYEMAN) which identifies a specific special access program or portion. A list of several such code words can be seen at Byeman Control System.
Exercise terms – a combination of two words, normally unclassified, used exclusively to designate an exercise or test[1]
The general system described above is now in use by NATO, the United Kingdom, Canada (Atlantic Guard, Atlantic Spear, Atlantic Shield) Australia and New Zealand, and allies/partners including countries like Sweden.
Able Staff – command post exercise, April–September 1997, practicing SACEUR's nuclear warning system.
Able – Coast Guard first word
Able Manner – Windward Passage patrols to interdict Haitian migrants, January 1993-November 1993.
Able Response, Able Vigil
Able Avionics – Air Training Command program of 1976 to provide only elemental training for avionics systems maintenance at training centers, with further training given at field training detachments.[2]
Able Chief – Air Training Command program of 1976 to provide only elemental training for crew chiefs at training centers, with further training given at field training detachments.[2]
Ace Guard was a NATO deployment of the ACE Mobile Force (Air) and surface to air missiles to Turkey, between 3 January 1991 – 8 March 1991.[3] Turkey had requested greater NATO forces to be deployed to meet any Iraqi threat after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990.
Active Edge was a routine no-notice NATO Allied Forces Central Europe readiness exercise held twice yearly. "The most recent such exercise took place, on the date and in the format planned, on 12th June 1989. It did not include the exercise deployment of forces outside their garrisons." (House of Lords Debate 27 June 1989)[4]
Adventure Express – winter exercise series, dating to at least 1983.
African – U.S.-Moroccan EUCOM (now Africa Command) first word
African Eagle – U.S.-Moroccan biennial exercise practicing deployment of USAF units to Morocco. Dates to at least 1984.
African Falcon '85, African Fox '85.
African Lion – in 2009 described as "Train forces capable of conducting joint and combined U.S., air, and land combat interoperability operations."[5]
Exercise Agile Spirit 19 began with dual opening ceremonies at Senaki Air Base and Vaziani Training Area in the country of Georgia on July 27, 2019. Approximately 3,300 military personnel from 14 allied and partner forces were expected to participate in the exercise.[6]
Exercise Alam Halfa – U.S.-New Zealand, NZ-sponsored land forces exercise, Linton and Napier, central North Island, April 26-May 6, 2012. The new exercise series, according to the New Zealand Herald, was made possible by the "Wellington Declaration" signed by the two countries in November 2010.[7] Continued probably yearly after that point; Alam Halfa 2013. Named for the Battle of Alam Halfa during World War II.
Operations Allied Goodwill I & II, 4–9 February & 27 February-24 March 1992. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, NATO flew teams of humanitarian assistance experts and medical advisors to Russia and other former Soviet states using NATO Airborne Early Warning Force trainer cargo aircraft.
Exercise AMPLE STRIKE - In August and September 2017, the 307th Bomb Wing supported and participated in Exercise Ample Strike, which was Czech Republic led with two B-52s and two B-1s. This was a critical, annual exercise meant to increase proficiency levels of all forward air controllers and joint terminal air controllers, as well as to improve standardization and interoperability across NATO Allies and partners that included multiple European countries.
Ample Train (previously "Ample Gain.") Exercise "initiated to improve the ability of NATO's Air Forces to work on and with each others aircraft; ground servicing crews from one nation [worked] with air crew and aircraft from other nations."[9]
Ample Waist - White House Military Office support to White House Doctor efforts to reduce President Donald Trump's weight.
Anatolian Eagle – an air force exercise hosted by the Turkish Air Force and held in Konya, Turkey. There are both national and international exercises held, the international exercises usually involving air arms of the United States, other NATO forces, and Asian countries. The first exercise, Anatolian Eagle 01, was held by TAF Operations Command on 18–29 June 2001. As well as Turkey, the air forces of USA and Israel also participated.[10]
Operation Anchor Guard – 10 August 1990 – 9 March 1991. Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait of 2 August 1990, Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft of the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force were moved to Konya, Turkey to monitor the situation.[3] The aircraft remained Konya to maintain surveillance of south-eastern Turkey throughout the crisis, which led to the Gulf War of January–March 1991.
In January 1980, USS Saipan (LHA-2) was out to sea to an amphibious landing at Cape Code in preparation for the NATO Exercise Anorak Express. Sailing February 14 for Northern Norway, USS SAIPAN entered into her first operational deployment.[11]
Armada Sweep – U.S. Navy electronic surveillance from ships off the coast of East Africa to support drone operations in the region.[13]
Exercises Atlantic Guard (May 2002, Land Forces Atlantic Area); Atlantic Spear (18-22 November 2002, hosted by LFAA); Atlantic Shield (12 May 2003, hosted by Halifax Port Authority - Canadian interagency homeland security exercises.[14]
Atlas Drop – from 1997 to 2003, U.S.-Tunisian exercise[15]
Central Accord 14 was started by U.S. European Command in 1996, at which time it was called Atlas Drop. AFRICOM took over the exercise in 2008, and renamed it Atlas Accord in 2012. This put it in line with AFRICOM's other “Accord series” exercises, which focus on training African ground forces. Atlas Accord 12 was an AFRICOM Mali-based medical exercise conducted in Mopti, Mali, on 7–15 February 2012 despite the cancellation of Flintlock 12. The joint-aerial-delivery exercise, hosted by U.S. Army Africa, brought together Army personnel with African armed forces to enhance air drop capabilities and ensure effective delivery of military resupply materials and humanitarian aid.[7]
Atlas Eagle – in 2009 described as "Train forces capable of conducting joint and combined U.S., air, and land combat interoperability operations."[5]
Atlas Response – response to Mozambique floods of 2001
Atlas Vision – peacekeeping exercise with Russia. Atlas Vision 2012 appears to have been the first of a series, according to commentators at Small Wars Journal. Atlas Vision 2013 took place in Germany. U.S. European Command had been in the planning stages for Atlas Vision 2014, which was to take place in July in Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Oblast), and focus on joint peace-keeping operations. Because of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, “all planning for this exercise has been suspended.”[16]
Attain Document – in 1986, the US Navy began several "Freedom of Navigation" operations in the area around Libya, the first two parts of the operation being held from January 26–30, and February 12–15 without incident. The third part began on 23 March 1986 and led to the Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986).
Austere Strike – U.S. Air Force system utilizing an electro-optical seeker and tracker for acquisition and tracking missions flown by McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II aircraft.[20]
Autumn Forge – A series of NATO exercises conducted each year in Allied Command Europe. It began in 1975 linking a number of training exercises under a common scenario, to present a more potent public image.[21]Autumn Forge 83.
Operation Avid Recovery – U.S. European Command activities with Nigerian and British service personnel in clearing unexploded ordnance left over after the 2002 Lagos armoury explosionatIkeja Cantonment, Lagos, on 27 January 2002. U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal soldiers helped to "stabilize" the cantonment area, as well as "providing safety training to the public and special ordnance handling training" for Nigerian Armed Forces personnel.[22]
Joint Task Force Aztec Silence – European Command "established Joint Task Force AZTEC SILENCE under the Commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet in December 2003 to counter transnational terrorism in the under-governed areas of Northern Africa and to build closer alliances with those governments. In support of this, U.S. Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets Lockheed P-3 Orions based in Sigonella, Sicily were used to collect and share information with U.S. [partners] and their militaries. This robust cooperative ISR effort was augmented by the release of intelligence collected by national assets."[23]
Baker Mint Lens 99 – Conducted by the US Army and Malaysia in 1999.
Baker Mondial V – Conducted by the US Army and Mongolia in 1997. Trained on medical procedures.
Baker Mongoose II – Conducted by the US Army and Mongolia in 1995.
Baker Piston Lens 2000 – Conducted by the US Army and the Philippines in 2000.
Baker Tepid – A series of eight exercises conducted by the US Army and Thailand.
Baker Torch – A series of three exercises conducted by the US Army and Thailand from 1999 to 2001. Trained on border control.
Baker Torch Lens – Conducted by the US Army and Thailand. Trained on diving.
Banner – First word for withdrawal of USAF units from Thailand in extension of Keystone operations
Banner Star – Inactivation of 43d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 556th Civil Engineering Squadron (Heavy Repair), 609th Special Operations Squadron, discontinuance of F-102 detachment at Udorn and movement of planes to Clark Air Base, consolidating F-105s at Takhli, reduction of C-121s of 553d Reconnaissance Wing by one third.[24]
Banner Sun – Ended USAF activities at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base; inactivated 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, moved F-105s to Kadena Air Base, moved one squadron of Wild Weasel aircraft to Korat, reduced 553d Reconnaissance Wing to a squadron, moved 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron to United States, discontinued F-102 detachment at Don Muang and movement of planes to Clark Air Base.[25]
Bar None – Strategic Air Command exercise to test operational effectiveness of a wing. Name replaced by Buy None.
Exercise Battle Griffin – amphibious exercise practising reception, staging, and operation of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force in defense of Northern Norway. Also involved UK, Netherlands. In 1991 Exercise Battle Griffin took place in February–March. That year the 2nd MEB made the first test of the Norway Air-Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade, composed completely of Marine Corps Reserve units as Operation Desert Storm was getting under way. The force comprised HQ Company 25th Marines, 3/25 Marines, Co E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and 1st Battalion, 14th Marines (artillery, composed of HQ, Alpha, and Bravo Batteries).[26] Battle Griffin 93; Battle Griffin 96.[27]
Beacon Flash – U.S.-Oman dissimilar air combat exercise going back to the 1970s.[27]Carrier Air Wing 1 flying from USS America (CV-66) carried out at least two 'Beacon Flash' exercises in the first half of 1983 (Command History 1983).
Operation Big Buzz – a DOD entomological warfare field test probably conducted by the Army Chemical Corps in the U.S. state of Georgia in 1955.
Big Safari – a United States Air Force program begun in 1952 which provides management, direction, and control of the acquisition, modification, and logistics support for special purpose weapons systems derived from existing aircraft and systems.
Blue Springs – Joint Chiefs of Staff directive for photographic reconnaissance in Southeast Asia using SAC Ryan Model 147 drones. First mission flown from Kadena Air Base 20 August 1964. Moved to Bien Hoa Air Base in October 1964. Included missions over China. Renamed Bumble Bug on 1 August 1967.[30]
Bold Quest – In 2013, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point hosted warfighters, technology teams and testers from 10 states and each of the U.S. military services for the 11th Bold Quest coalition demonstration. Cherry Point was chosen for its ideal location for hosting East Coast military assets, and supported two U.S. Navy warships operating offshore.[31] Nearly 1,800 military personnel from the U.S. and partners participated in Bold Quest 17.2 in Savannah, Georgia, the latest in a series of coalition capability demonstration and assessment events sponsored by the Joint Staff. Over the course of 18 days in October–November, members of the U.S. armed services, National Guard, U.S. Special Operations Command, NATO Headquarters and 16 partner states participated in the demonstration, which collected technical data on systems and subjective judgments from the warfighters using them.
Bumble Bug – Photographic reconnaissance in Southeast Asia using SAC Ryan Model 147 drones. Replaced Blue Springs on 1 August 1967. Renamed Bumpy Action in December 1968[36]
Bumpy Action – Ryan AQM-34 (formerly Model 147) drone reconnaissance missions over Southeast Asia from December 1968. Formerly Bumble Bug. Mostly low level missions, when high resolution photography was required, or cloud cover prevented SR-71 photography. After October 1969, included missions as far as 200 miles into China. Operations moved to U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield in July 1970.[34][37]
Busy Plotter – Program to increase proficiency of Strategic Air Command navigators by training them using Air Training Command Boeing T-43 aircraft, rather than the more expensive B-52s, due to high fuel costs from 1979 to October 1981.[39]
Busy Player – Exercise which included participation of 40th Air Division (in 1951–89 period).[33]
Busy Usher – Strategic Air Command launch of No. 13 LF-02 missile MK-1 Minuteman-II
Button Up – Strategic Air Command security system reset procedures used during Minuteman facility wind down
Buy None – Strategic Air Command exercise to test operational effectiveness of wings. Name replaced Bar None. Included participation of 40th Air Division in 1951–89 period.[33]
Cedar Sweep - flights in 2010 by 9th Reconnaissance Wing from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, surveillance over Lebanon, relaying information about Hezbollah militants to Lebanese authorities. See Highland Warrior.
Exercise Central Enterprise – NATO Allied Forces Baltic Approaches/Allied Forces Central Europe exercise, "designed to test the integrated air defense system throughout Western Europe. Regular exercises which incorporate a major military low flying element over the United Kingdom include Exercises Elder Forest (once every two years), Elder Joust (once a year), Central Enterprise (once a year), Mallet Blow (twice a year), OSEX (once a year) and Salty Hammer (once a year). Some of these exercises test and practice the United Kingdom air defenses while others primarily provide aircrews with training in tactical low flying techniques. The June 1982 Central Enterprise exercise marked the first practical test of the new NATO airborne early warning system."[42] 1997 included deployment of 301st Fighter Wing, Air Force Reserve.
Circuit Gold – On 7 November 1973 CINC Pacific Fleet announced the deployment of a Circuit Gold aircraft to monitor units of the Soviet Navy. Circuit Gold was the name for Navy special multi-sensor Lockheed P-3A aircraft. Two such aircraft were assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet, operated by VP-4. (CINCPAC Command History 1973, 254, 281/818 at Nautilus)
Operation Chrome Dome – Strategic Air Command airborne alert indoctrination training.
Cobra Eye – Boeing RC-135X reconnaissance aircraft with mission of tracking ICBM reentry vehicles.[44][45] In 1993, it was converted into an additional RC-135S Cobra Ball.[46][47] The sole aircraft was converted during the mid-to-late-1980s from a C-135B Telemetry/Range Instrumented Aircraft, serial number 62–4128.
Cobra Mist – Anglo-American experimental over-the-horizon radar station at Orford Ness, Suffolk, England. It was known technically as AN/FPS-95 and sometimes referred to as System 441a; a reference to the project as a whole.
Cobra Shoe – reported Over The Horizon (Backscatter) (OTH-B) radar designed by RCA Corporation, designed to monitor ballistic missile tests in the interior of the Soviet Union, installed in the Western Sovereign Base Area (Akrotiri), Cyprus.[48] Source is "U.S. declassified documents". Installed since around 1964; no details on when/whether it left service.
Combat Pacer - in 1966, Elmendorf Air Force Base began providing more support for Military Airlift Command with Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and C-141 Starlifter flights to and from Japan, Okinawa and further south, supporting the Vietnam War. The aerial port at the base (602d Military Airlift Support Squadron) was expanded in January 1966 for these flights. Initially referred to as Fly Fast, the operation name was changed in 1967 to Combat Pacer.
Comfy Levy – Volant Solo EC-130Es using palletized electronics and clip on antennas to conduct Senior Scout and Senior Hunter missions with operators from Electronic Security Command.[53]
Commando Buzz – 1970 Employment of Coronet Solo EC-121s to aid the Cambodian Government by rebroadcasting civil radio broadcasts to remote areas of the country.[53]
Commando Club - US operation of the Vietnam War which used command guidance of aircraft by radar at Lima Site 85 in Laos for ground-directed bombing (GDB) of targets in North Vietnam and clandestine targets in Laos.
Exercise Commando Sling – Approximately three deployments of USAF F-15s and F-16s from both Active Duty and National Guard units from around the world are made each year to Singapore under this title. The 497th Combat Training Flight takes part in regional exercise and global contingencies, and provides housing; morale, recreation and welfare facilities and programs: medical services; force protection to resources and personnel; and legal, financial, communications, and contracting support to assigned and deployed personnel.
Commando Solo – Volant Solo psychological warfare program renamed with upgrades to EC-130Es (and later EC-130Js). Originally Coronet Solo with EC-121Ss.[55]
Compass Call – EC-130H electronic warfare aircraft.[57] Programmed for upgrade to EC-37Bs,
Compass Cookie – Ryan AQM-34N high altitude drones modified to optimize intercept of Soviet SA-2 surface to air missile downlink signals. Deployed to U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, with missions flown in September 1972.[58]
Constant – Arkin lists this prefix as an 'Air force operations first word, often referring to Air Force Technical Applications Center and other reconnaissance missions. Constant programs in the 1980s included Constant Bore, Constant Dome, Constant Fish, Constant Globe, Constant Seek, and Constant Take.'[59]
Arkin lists Constant subprograms included Constant Blue (Presidential successor helicopter evacuation plan), Constant Gate, Constant Help, Constant Phoenix (55th Wing nuclear monitoring) Constant Pisces, Constant Shotgun, Constant Source, Constant Spur, Constant Star, Constant Stare (anAir Intelligence Agency organization).[60][61]
Project Constant Growth – From October 1975 to July 1976 name of program to give copilots of heavy airlift and bombardment aircraft experience by flying smaller training aircraft. Nickname dropped and program retitled Accelerated Copilot Enrichment.[62]
Constant Peg – evaluation of clandestinely-acquired Soviet fighter aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, by 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron. The idea of a more realistic training program for the Air Force was devised by USAF Colonel Gail Peck, a Vietnam veteran F-4 pilot, who was dissatisfied with his service's fighter pilot training. After the war, he worked at the Department of Defense, where he heard about the Have Drill and Have Doughnut programs. He won the support of USAF General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr. and launched "Constant Peg," named after Vandenberg's callsign, "Constant," and Peck's wife, Peg.[63]
Operation Continuing Promise - periodic series of US military exercises conducted under the direction of United States Southern Command. Designated by Roman numeral (“Continuing Promise I” was in 2007), or by year (“Continuing Promise 2009”); they provide medical, dental and veterinary aid to people in Latin America.[64]
Exercise Cope Thunder – A Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise initiated in 1976, Cope Thunder was devised as a way to give aircrews their first taste of warfare and quickly grew into PACAF's "premier simulated combat airpower employment exercise."[67] Moved from Clark Air BasetoEielson Air Force Base in Alaska in 1992, permanently, after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
Project Cornrose – Study of the use of nuclear weapons to destroy dams and harbor infrastructure[68]
Corona South - the 72nd Bombardment WingatRamey Air Force BaseinPuerto Rico hosted the annual United States Air Force Commander's Conferences, code named Corona South, which began on an irregular basis in 1955. By the 1960s, Corona South had become a regular annual event at Ramey. It continued until the wing was inactivated. Military Airlift Command then continued them until Ramey closed and they were transferred to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida.[69]
Coronet Bare – 1969 demonstration of "bare base" concept of deployment.[70]
Coronet Cobra – Deployment of Coronet Solo EC-121s to Korat Royal Thai Air Base.[53]
Coronet Oak – the continuing operation in which Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) C-130 aircraft, aircrews and related support personnel deploy from the United States to Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico, to provide theater airlift support for the U.S. Southern Command. The mission moved from Howard Air Force Base, Panama, as a result of the DOD withdrawal from Panama, from April 1999. Units rotate in and out of Muñiz ANGB every two weeks. Forces assigned to Coronet Oak provide United States Southern Command with logistic and contingency support throughout Central and South America.[71] The mission typically covers embassy resupply, medical evacuations, and support of U.S. troops and/or the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Coronet Solo – EC-121Ss modified for psychological warfare to broadcast radio and TV with electronic warfare capability. Renamed Volant Solo with introduction of EC-130Es.[72]
Creek – USAFE first word
Creek Action – Command-wide effort by Hq USAFE to realign functions and streamline operations, 1973
Creek Caste – intelligence program/project
Creek Claw – intelligence program/project
Creek Klaxon - In 1986, the 119th Fighter-Interceptor Group (ND ARNG) assumed the USAF Zulu alert mission at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany. The 119th and other Reserve Component Air Defense units rotated to Ramstein and stood continuous air sovereignty alert for one year, provided for NATO.
Creek Party – Deployment of Air National GuardBoeing KC-97 tankers to Europe to support United States Air Forces Europe operations.
Exercise Dawn Patrol was a five-nation NATO naval and air exercise conducted throughout the Mediterranean in 1974.[73] The U.S. contribution to the exercise was based on the USS America carrier battle group.
Operation Deep Freeze Annual resupply operations for American scientific sites in Antarctica.
Deep Siren – Raytheon/RRK/Ultra Electronics Maritime Systems expendable "long-range acoustic tactical pager", launched via sub/surface/air-launched buoy (JDW 21 Nov 2007).
Operation Desert Lion began on 27 March 2003, during the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). U.S. Army soldiers from the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment launched an operation in the Kohe Safi Mountains and surrounding areas in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan. Their mission was to hunt for supplies and members of the Taliban and Al-Qaida.
Operation Desert Strike – 1996 missile strikes on Iraq.
Operation Desert Thunder - buildup of forces against Iraq, January–May 1998.[76] A new buildup of forces began in September, and then Operation Desert Fox took place in December.
Destined Glory – Cold War NATO naval exercise, Mediterranean. Also held May 1995, 7–20 April 1997 - DG 97, and 5–22 May 1998.[77] Also tested Multinational Amphibious Task Force concept, previous designated CAFMED until late 1999.
Operation Determined Falcon 1998 – 80-aircraft NATO show of force over Albania near Kosovo.[78]
Operation Determined Forge - maritime component of Operation Joint Force (SFOR II).[79][80]
Determined Promise-03 (DP-03) was a two-week, multi-level exercise which started on August 18, 2002, with a simulated outbreak of pneumonic plague in Nevada, adding a hurricane, an air threat in Alaska, and a train wreck in Kentucky to the list of 1,700 'injects' that would crop up during the exercise. DP-03 was intended as the final testing event before the declaration of Full Operational Capability for U.S. Northern Command, with DHS and a total of 34 federal agencies represented.[82][83]
Exercise Eager Light – In October 2012, more than 70 U.S. 1st Armored Division personnel deployed to Jordan to conduct Exercise Eager Light, a 30-day command post exercise that focuses on brigade-level warfighting tactics and procedures. This exercise dates back to the mid-1980s.
Exercise Eager Lion – Eager Lion 12 took place in Jordan. Now the largest DOD exercise in the Middle East, surpassing Bright Star.[87] The exercise "amounts to an outgrowth of the annual bilateral "Infinite Moonlight" US-Jordan exercise that stretches back to the 1990s."[88] Now possibly involves Syrian Civil War contingencies.
Eastern Venture - reported Warning Order issued for airlift support to famine relief operations in Sudan, covered by CENTCOM Command History 1985, page 30 (via www3.centcom.mil/FOIALibrary).
Operation El Dorado Canyon 1986 – USAF and USN air strikes on Libya in retaliation for terrorist bombing of La Belle Disco in West Berlin.[96]
Echo Casemate – Support of French and African peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic.[13]
Operations Enhance and Enhance Plus in the Vietnam War transferred large quantities of United States military equipment and bases to the South Vietnamese government in advance of the Paris Peace Accords which ended American involvement in the war. The two operations were conducted between May and December 1972.
Exercise Evening Star is the annual test of the emergency response routines to a nuclear weapon accident at Faslane, HMNB Clyde. It is conducted by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. In 2011 the test failed as "a number of command and control aspects of the exercise were not considered to have been adequately demonstrated".[97]
Exploring Sword - designation used for training exercises for I German/Dutch Corps
Exile Hunter – Training of Ethiopian forces for operations in Somalia[13]
Exercise Fearless Guardian 2015 – U.S./Ukrainian training exercise. (total 2,200 participants, including 1,000 U.S. military). Initial personnel and equipment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade arrived in Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast, on 10 April 2015. Fearless Guardian will train Ukraine's newly formed National Guard under the Congress-approved Global Contingency Security Fund. Under the program, the United States will begin training three battalions of Ukrainian troops over a six-month period beginning in April 2015.[98]
Fervent Archer – EUCOM directed Joint Special Operations Command task force in Sarajevo from 2001. Believed to be a continuation of 'Amber Star' (see above).[99]
Flexible Anvil/Sky Anvil 1998 – Planning for Balkan/Kosovo operations.[100] "JTF Flexible Anvil [ComSixthFleet, to plan and be prepared to execute a limited strike option using YTLAM and CALCM missiles]; and JTF Sky Anvil [COMAFFOR/Sixteenth Air Force, to plan a more extensive strike option using fixed wing aircraft] developed concrete military plans which were approved and ready for execution."
Formidable Shield – seaborne ABM exercise using NATO Military Command Structure to direct ships. Formidable Shield 2019 utilized STRIKFORNATO in northern UK waters.
Fox Able – Transatlantic deployment of jet fighter aircraft.
Operation Fracture Cross Alpha – Operation to prevent North Vietnamese interference with air operations supporting Operation Lam Son 719.[34]
Operation Fracture Deep – Plan to strike Vietnam People's Air Force bases south of 20th parallel. Combined with Operation Proud Bunch as Operation Proud Deep.[34]
Gallant Hand – A large scale joint warfare training exercise held in 1972 at Fort Hood in which 23,000 soldiers and airmen participated.[20]
Gallant Journey 05 – Arkin write that this exercise was a "..Classified intelligence or special operations" activity held in March 2005, with DIA, NAS and CIA/OMA involvement.[104]
Golden Spear - regional disaster management cooperation centre in Nairobi, Kenya, created initially with assistance from United States Central Command.
Harvest Moon - on 29 November 1957, shortly after the launch of Sputnik I on 4 October, two German expatriates, formed Project Space Track (originally called Project Harvest Moon).[120]: 5 [121]: 1 It was established in Building 1535 of the Geophysics Research Directorate, Air Force Cambridge Research Center (United States Air Force), Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts.
Hasty Piper – Recruiting program using volunteers from technical training to return to their home towns to return to their home towns to augment recruiting from July 1972 to February 1972.[122]
Have Drill – Defense Intelligence Agency project whose purpose was to evaluate and test a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (ASCC "Fresco") (YF-113A) fighter aircraft.[124]
Have Ferry – Defense Intelligence Agency project whose purpose was to evaluate and exploit a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 "Fresco-C" (YF-114C) fighter aircraft.[124]
Highland Warrior - 9th Reconnaissance Wing U-2 surveillance flights over Turkey and northern Iraq, flown from RAF Akrotiri, to relay information to Turkish authorities. These flights were the topic of acrimonious leaked diplomatic cables between British officials and the American embassy.[128]
Operation Instant Thunder was the name given to air strike planning options by the United States Air Force in late 1990 during Operation Desert Shield.[133] Designed by Colonel John A. Warden III, it was planned to be an overwhelming strike which would devastate the Iraq Armed Forces with minimum loss of civilian as well as American life.[134] Name was chosen in reference to Rolling Thunder and the perceived failure of step by step escalation of air strikes on North Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. Instead the intention was a large, heavy blow instantly ("shock and awe").
Iris Gold – On 3 October 1994, Company C, Second Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was deployed on Iris Gold 95-1 for presences forward and pre-mission training with selected elements of the Kuwait Ministry of Defense (MOD). The training mission rapidly transitioned to defense of Kuwait operation establishing a Combat Air Support (CAS) umbrella, which became part of Operation Vigilant Warrior.
Iron Clad - second designation for specially equipped Lockheed P-3 Orion long range maritime patrol aircraft, operated by VPU-1 and VPU-2 (Patrol Squadron, Special Projects), U.S. Navy.[135]
Island Thunder – U.S.-Italian "non-combatant evacuation exercise", 1996, 1997.[59] Island Thunder 12 was a DOE NNSA-FBI sponsored weapons of mass destruction domestic crisis management table top exercise, part of the Silent Thunder series, held in Hawaii, 29 March 2012.[7]
Joint Spirit – NATO Combined Joint Task Force CPX/computer-aided exercise, planned as a building block for Strong Resolve, 1–30 September 2001. Cut short after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[140]
Juniper Falconry – On 29 March 1992, Vice Admiral W. A. Owens, Commander, United States Sixth Fleet, embarked aboard USS Monterey (CG-61) with a 28-man Army, Navy, and Air Force staff including Brigadier General James Mathers (Commanding General, Provide Comfort) at Haifa for Exercise Juniper Falconry II.[141] From 1–7 April, Monterey was underway for Juniper Falconry II, with a two-day port visit in Haifa on 3–4 April. From 7–9 April, Monterey visited Haifa again for exercise debriefs and to disembark the Joint Task Force.
Juniper Micron – Airlift of French forces to combat Islamic extremists in Mali[13]
Juniper Nimbus – Support for Nigerian Forces against Boko Haram[13]
Operation Juniper Shield – Counterterrorism operations in the northwest African Sahara/Sahel.[13] formerly known as Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS); name change occurred 2012–13, though OEF-TS was still be used at times in 2014. Closely linked with 'Flintlock' exercise.
Jupiter Garrett – Joint Special Operations Command operation against high value targets in Somalia.[13] Included Task Force 4-84 in 2011-2012.[49]
Exercise Keen Edge/Keen Sword – U.S./Japan defense of Japan exercise. Every two years, the US and Japan hold the Keen Sword exercise, the biggest military exercise around Japan. Japan, the United States and since 2024, Australia, participate, with Canada playing a smaller role.[143]
Keystone – Overall name for withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam (see Banner)
Keystone Bluejay (Increment III) Withdrawal of 50,000 troops by 15 April 1970[144]
Keystone Cardinal (Increment II) Reduction of troop ceiling to 484,000 by 15 December 1969[145]
Keystone Eagle (Increment I) Reduction of troop ceiling to 534,500 in August 1969[145]
Keystone Oriole Alpha (Increment VII) Reduction of 100,000 by 1 December 1970[146]
Keystone Robin Alpha, Bravo, Charlie (Increments IV, V, VI) 3 reductions of 50,000/ 40,000/ 60,000 by 15 April 1971[147]
Kodiak Hunter – Training of Kenyan forces for operations in Somalia[13]
Keystone – Prefix for withdrawal of USAF units from Vietnam as part of "Vietnamization" See also Banner.
Keystone Bluejay – Movement of 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron to Misawa Air Base and inactivation of 557th, 558th and 559th Tactical Fighter Squadrons.[148]
Keystone Cardinal – movement of U-10 and C-47 aircraft of 5th Special Operations Squadron to Korea.[149]
Keystone Robin Alfa – 31st Tactical Fighter Wing moved to United States, 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron inactivated and planes returned to the United States, A-37s of the 8th and 90th Special Operations Squadrons turned over to the Vietnamese Air Force.[150]
Left Hook – Deployment of Long Arm RB-47H and Ryan 147D drones to the Philippines. The drones were to locate SA-2surface to air missile sites, which would then be attacked by fighter aircraft. Two drone launches in August 1965 were both shot down by ground fire. The project was abandoned and resources rolled into United Effort.[126]
Lone Eagle – Design of longer range reconnaissance drone starting in 1966. Renamed Compass Arrow[56]
Long Arm – Project to fly Ryan 147 drones near SA-2 surface to air missile sites, transmitting ELINT to nearby Boeing RB-47H aircraft nearby, but out of range of the missiles. Planned for operation over Cuba in December 1962, but not deployed. Tested in 1965 with Ryan 147D drones. Deployed as Left Hook.[126]
Long Skip – Support for India in border dispute with China in Kashmir, 1962–1963[151]
Long Life – launch of LGM-30 Minuteman from 'live' launch facility with seven seconds of fuel.
Exercise Long Look - long-established individual exchange program between Commonwealth armies. For example, Captain Katie Hildred, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, was dispatched on Exercise Long Look in New Zealand in 2017, a four-month program that was planned to see her deploy on various exercises and training packages with the New Zealand Army.[152]
Operation Looking Glass – SAC/Strategic Command survivable airborne command post. The name came from the aircraft's ability to "mirror" the command and control functions of the underground command post at Strategic Air Command headquarters. Began 1961.
Operation Louisville Slugger – 1971 RF-4C Phantom II reconnaissance north of the DMZ to locate North Vietnam Fan Song radar sites[34]
Operation Mountain Storm began on or about 12 March 2004, following the completion of Operation Mountain Blizzard. Part of spring fighting against TalibaninAfghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom).
Exercise Nifty Nugget, a 1978 transportation plans exercise, exposed great gaps in understanding between military and civilian participants: mobilization and deployment plans fell apart, and as a result, the United States and its NATO allies "lost the war". Estimated "400,000 troop 'casualties,' and thousands of tons of supplies and 200,000 to 500,000 trained combat troops would not have arrived at the identified conflict scene on time."[158] "Two major recommendations came out of Nifty Nugget: a direct line of command between the transportation agencies and the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the creation of an agency responsible for deployments.[159] This agency was to be established as the Joint Deployment Agency, a forerunner to United States Transportation Command.
Night Train was part of a series of chemical and biological warfare tests overseen by the DOD Deseret Test Center as part of Project 112. The test was conducted near Fort Greely, Alaska from November 1963 to January 1964. The primary purpose of Night Train was to study the penetration of an arctic inversion by a biological aerosol cloud.
Nimble Shield – Operation against Boko Haram and ISIL West Africa.[13]
Exercise Noble Jump (de:Noble Jump) – is a NATO maneuver that took place in the summer of 2015 in Żagań, Poland. A second edition of the maneuver (Noble Jump II) took place in the summer of 2017 in Bulgaria and Romania. In May and June 2019 the exercise will take place again in Żagań, Poland.
Operation Noble Response – U.S. delivery of over 900,000 kg of food after unseasonable rains and flooding in the northeastern part of Kenya, January–March 1998. Included formation of Joint Task Force Kenya, participation of 43rd Airlift Wing.[163]
Operation Nomad Shadow is the name of a classified military operation that may have begun in November 2007 to share intelligence information between the U.S. and the Republic of Turkey. Appears to involve UAV patrols, potentially in connection with the Syrian Civil War.
Exercise Northern Light – 1 NZ SAS Group extreme cold weather training in Norway.[167]
Exercise Northern Safari – Conducted on Great Barrier Island from 5–28 March (1983 or 1984). The aim was to mobilize the New Zealand Army Ready Reaction Force and practice selected elements in air/sea deployment and the conduct of operations. The exercise was supported by HMAS Tobruk, a company of the Gurkha Regiment from British Forces, Hong Kong which acted as the enemy for the exercise, and an Australian Army engineer squadron.[168]
Northern Wind 2019 – Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish main-defense style exercise being conducted on the Swedish/Finn border March 2019.[170] Live exercise March 20–27. Fifteen hundred Finnish troops incorporated into Swedish 3rd Brigade; Norway to contribute the entirety of Brigade North including elements No. 339 Squadron RNoAF, a United States Marine Corps infantry battalion and a Royal Marines company group. Exercise area stretching from Boden (SWE) to Haparanda in Finland, and north to vicinity of Overtornea.
Oaken Sonnet I – 2013 rescue of United States personnel from South Sudan during its civil war[13]
Oaken Sonnet II – 2014 operation in South Sudan[13]
Oaken Sonnet III – 2016 operation in South Sudan[13]
Oaken Steel – July 2016 to January 2017 deployment to Uganda and reinforcement of security forces at US embassy in South Sudan.
Objective Voice – Information operations and psychological warfare in Africa[13]
Oblique Pillar – private contractor helicopter support to U.S. Navy SEAL-advised units of the Somali National Army fighting al-Shabaab in Somalia. The operation was in existence as of February 2018. Bases used included Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti; Mombasa and Wajir, Kenya; Baidoa, Baledogle, Kismayo and Mogadishu, Somalia; Entebbe, Uganda.[13]
Operation Observant Compass – initially attempts to kill Joseph Kony and eradicate the Lord's Liberation Army. In 2017, with around $780 million spent on the operation, and Kony still in the field, the United States wound down Observant Compass and shifted its forces elsewhere. But the operation didn't completely disband, according to the Defense Department: “forces supporting Operation Observant Compass transitioned to broader.. security and stability activities that continue the success of our African partners."[13][171]
Obsidian Lotus – Training Libyan special operations units[13]
Odyssey Lightning – Airstrikes on Sirte, Libya in 2016.[13]
Odyssey Resolve – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations in area of Sirte, Libya.[13]
Oil Burner – Strategic Air Command low level bomber training. Replaced by Olive Branch.
Old Bar – Telemetry checks of the Ryan 147G flown with EB-47H October to November 1966 from Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam. Operational missions against SA-2 sites may have also been flown.[172]
Olive Branch – Strategic Air Command low level bomber training. Replaced Oil Burner. Name later dropped and training areas called Instrument Routes or Visual Routes.
Olympic Defender – "U.S. space war plan", to be first shared with unspecified allies after a new version of the plan was promulgated in December 2018.[173]
Exercise Open Gate - NATO air/naval exercise in the Mediterranean, late 1970s. 1979 iteration included No. 12 Squadron RAF deployment from Honington to RAF Gibraltar, carrying out the low-level anti-shipping mission.[174][175]
Olympic Arena III – Strategic Air Command missile competition of all nine operational missile units
Olympic Event – A Minuteman III nuclear operational systems test
Pacer Galaxy – Support of Minuteman force modification program
PACEX (Pacific Exercise) United States Pacific Fleet exercise series. PACEX '89 was the biggest peacetime exercise since the end of World War II. It was designed by Seventh Fleet "to determine the ability of US and allied naval forces to sustain high tempo combat operations for an extended period."[180] Three aircraft carrier battle groups, and two different battleship battle groups, gathered off the U.S. West Coast, proceeded through the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to Japan, and merged to conducted Battle Force operations against "opposing" USAF and JASDF and Navy as ANNUALEX 01G. USS Antietam (CG-54) served as the "..Anti-Air Warfare Coordinator for her successive battle groups and as alternate AAWC for the entire Battle Force. Steaming into the Sea of Japan, Antietam was also the AAWC for the Amphibious Task Force as they made their assault on the South Korean beach as Exercise VALIANT BLITZ 90."[180] Test of Maritime Strategy. See also Lehman, John (May 2018). Oceans Ventured: Winning the Cold War at Sea. W. W. Norton & Company. Also PACEX 02.[181]
Pacific Bond – U.S.-Australian army reserve exchange
Pacific Castle – Pacific naval exercise
Pacific Haven – emergency evacuation of pro-U.S. Kurds to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, September 1996-April 1997.
Pacific Horizon – WMD exercise
Pacific Kukri – UK–NZ exercise, 2000–2001
Pacific Look – U.S.–Australian army reserve exchange, 1997
Pave Hawk – Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk special operations and combat search and rescue helicopter.
Pave Nail - OV-10 Bronco with Pave Spot target laser designator pod.
Pave Knife – Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife early laser targeting pod.
Pave Low – Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low special ops and combat search and rescue helicopter.
Pave Mint – Upgrade of the AN/ALQ-117 electronic warfare system to the AN/ALQ-172.
Pave Mover – Demonstration program to develop the AN/APY-7 radar wide-area surveillance, ground moving target indicator (GMTI), fixed target indicator (FTI) target classification, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), for the E-8 Joint STARS.
Pave Onyx – Vietnam era Advanced Location Strike System c.1973.[182]
Pave Pace – A fully integrated avionics architecture featuring functional resource allocation.
Pave Paws – The Phased-Array Warning System which replaced the three BMEWS radars. Pave in this case is a backronym for Perimeter[183] or Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry.[184]
Pave Pepper – An Air Force SAMSO (Space & Missile Systems Organization) project to decrease the size of the Minuteman III warheads and allow for more to be launched by one Minuteman.
Pave Pillar – Generic core avionics architecture system for combat aircraft.
Phoenix Banner – "Special Air Mission", air transportation of the president of the United States, aircraft usually codenamed Air Force One. The basic procedures for such flights are stipulated in Air Force Instruction #11-289.[189]
Phoenix Duke I and II - involved NATO efforts to resettle ethnic Albanians into a secure environment as part of the peace agreement with Serbia, 1999, with participation of 433rd Airlift Wing.[190]
Phoenix Copper – flights flown in support of the Secret Service for VIPs other than the president and vice president.[189]
Operation Phoenix Jackal – Support for Saudi Arabian and Kuwait against Iraq in 1994
Phoenix Oak – See Coronet Oak. Operation name when directed by Air Combat Command 1992–?
Operations Phoenix Scorpion I & II 1997–1998, also phases III and IV. Deployment of additional troops and equipment to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East during 'Desert Thunder' confrontation with Iraq.[192] In 1998 the 433rd Airlift Wing participated in Phoenix Scorpions I – III.[193] Phoenix Scorpion IV involved David Grant USAF Medical Center.[194]
Operation Pony Express – was the covert transportation of, and the provision of aerial support for, indigenous soldiers and material operating across the Laotian and North Vietnamese borders during the Vietnam War.[195][196]
Exercise Port Call 86 was a Joint Chiefs of Staff sponsored command post exercise carried out 12–22 November 1985 (CENTCOM Command History 1985 via https://www3.centcom.mil/FOIALibrary/Search, p. 100).
Operation Proud Bunch – Plan to strike hard logistics sites in North Vietnam within 35 miles of the DMZ. Combined with Operation Fracture Deep as Operation Proud Deep.[34]
Operation Proud Deep – Combined Operation Fracture Deep and Operation Proud Bunch to strike Vietnam People's Air Force bases and logistics sites south of 18th parallel.[34]
Proud Phantom - unprogrammed tactical deployment ordered by Secretary of Defense/JCS, not part of the regular exercise program, in which 12 F-4E Phantom IIs and at least 400 personnel were dispatched to Cairo West Air Base, Egypt, during FY 80.
Proven Force – northern air campaign from Turkey over Iraq in 1991. General Jamerson activated JTF Proven Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The task force had three component organizations: Commander Air Force Forces (later to be mostly the 7440th Composite Wing (Prov)), Commander Army Forces, and Commander Joint Special Operations Task Force, which would seek and rescue downed allied pilots.[201]
Provide – EUCOM humanitarian assistance operations first word
Purple Dragon – joint forced entry operations. Purple Dragon 00/Roving Sands 00, Fort Bragg and Puerto Rico; Purple Dragon 98/JTFEX 98–1, Fort Bragg and Puerto Rico, Jan-Feb. 1998.
Exercise Purple Star/Royal Dragon – held in April–May 1996, the exercise brought together the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division (both from the United States), 5th Airborne Brigade (British Army), the U.S. Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the U.S. Marines, 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines[205] and the Royal Navy. It saw the deployment of 5th Airborne Brigade to North Carolina in the largest Anglo-American exercise for twenty-three years. Relieved from the back-to-back commitment of aircraft carriers to the Adriatic in support of UNPROFOR, the Royal Navy sent a large force, headed by a Carrier Task Group with HMS Invincible flying the flag of Rear Admiral Alan West, Commander UK Task Group; HMS Fearless and an amphibious group; and a mine countermeasures group headed by HMS Hecla.[206]U.S. Atlantic Command, headquartered at Norfolk, Virginia, directed the exercise. The aim of the operation was to practise a joint UK force in combined manoeuver in an overseas theatre. The exercise provided the first opportunity to test the new UK Permanent Joint Headquarters, which provided the core of the British Joint Headquarters in support of the exercise Joint Commander.[207] The exercise also was designed to test the new UK Joint Rapid Deployment Force which was established on 1 August 1996. A description of 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division's experience during Royal Dragon can be found in Tom Clancy, Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force, Berkley Books, New York, 1997, 222–228.
Purple Solace – 4-6 Jun 2013 Three officers from the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence (CJOS COE) supported the U.S. Joint Forces Staff College's Exercise “Purple Solace” as mentors. This exercise is a 3-day faculty guided planning exercise which reinforces the initial steps necessary to derive a mission statement and a commander's intent (end state) and a limited Concept of Operations in response to a series of natural disasters.
Exercise Purple Storm - a series of United States Southern Command, or United States Army South, exercises in Panama in 1989 that aimed to both assert United States treaty rights and to conduct tactical rehearsals for Operation Just Cause.[209] These exercises were carried out, according to the Department of Defense, to protect the integrity of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties of 1977.[210] Purple Storm was part of the Prayer Book series of plans created as relations between Panama and the US deteriorated.[211] (CMH 55-5-1)
Operation Quick Lift 1995 – Support of NATO Rapid Reaction Force and Croatia forces deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Quick Shot - training activity by 49th Air Division while in United Kingdom, period 1952-56.[212] Other training missions included Kingpin and Bear Claw.
Rainmaker – Turse and Naylor write that this United States Africa Command codename refers to "A highly sensitive classified signals intelligence effort. Bases used: Chebelley, Djibouti; Baidoa, Baledogle, Kismayo and Mogadishu, Somalia."[13]
Rapid Trident 14 – the exercise, in Lviv, Ukraine, near the border with Poland, is to “promote regional stability and security, strengthen partnership capacity, and foster trust while improving interoperability between USAREUR, the land forces of Ukraine, and other (NATO and partner) nations,” according to the USAREUR website.[16]
Operation Ready Swap – Use of reserve units to transport aircraft engines between Air Materiel Command's depots.[213]
Exercise Real Thaw – an annual exercise run by the Portuguese Air Force with the participation of the Army and Navy and foreign military forces. The exercise has the objective of creating a realistic as possible operational environment in which Portuguese forces might participate, provide joint training with both land, air and naval forces, and provide interoperability between different countries.[214]
Operation Red Hat – publicly acknowledged part of this operation involved relocation of chemical and biological weapons stored in Okinawa to Johnston Atoll for destruction. Most of the operation took place at night, to avoid observation of the operation by the Okinawans, who resented the presence of chemical munitions on the island. The chemical weapons consisted of rockets, mines, artillery projectiles, and bulk 1-ton containers filled with Sarin, Agent VX, vomiting agent, and blister agent such as mustard gas. There are indications that the codename was also used to designate storage and/or testing of chemical and biological agents on Okinawa in the 1960s, connected with Project 112.
Reef Point - first designation for specially equipped Lockheed P-3 Orion long range maritime patrol aircraft, operated by VPU-1 and VPU-2 (Patrol Squadron, Special Projects), U.S. Navy.[135]
Resultant Fury – DoD activity in November 2004 which included the weapons testing of free-fall bombs against decommissioned USN vessels off Hawaii.
Operation Riders Up – Movement of Strategic Air Command units from their Florida bases (Homestead, McCoy, MacDill) to make room for forward based Tactical Air Command units during the Cuban Missile Crisis.[217]
Exercise RIMPAC – Rim of the Pacific Exercise, large-scale U.S. Pacific Fleet activity with allied involvement.
Rivet Add – Modification of Minuteman-II launch facilities to hold Minuteman III missiles
Rivet Amber – one of a kind Boeing RC-135E reconnaissance aircraft equipped with a large 7 MW Hughes Aircraft phased-array radar system.[218] Originally designated C-135B-II, project name Lisa Ann.
Rugged Nautilus '96 – a joint service exercise aimed at discouraging any possible terrorist challenges through a show of force in the Gulf while the 1996 Atlanta Olympics were underway. Also described as "..a USAF-Navy exercise to test US Central Command's ability to gather and organize forces quickly in theater."[220]
The tank landing ship ex-USS Schenectady lists after being struck by seven 2,000lb Joint Direct Attack Munitions during exercise Resultant Fury at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the Island of Kauai, Hawaii, on Nov. 23, 2004.
Exercise Saber Guardian – July 2016 exercise involving 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (ARNG) and troop elements from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the U.S.[221]
Saber Safe – Minuteman pre-launch survivability program
Saber Secure – A Minuteman rebasing program
Safari Hunter - 2017 operation in Somalia with SNA/Jubaland striking north from Kismayo against Al-Shabaab centered in Middle Juba.[222] "Hunter" series shows Somali National Army Danab participation.
Exercise Safe Skies – 2011 Ukrainian, Polish and American air forces fly-together to help prepare the Polish and Ukrainians for enhanced air supremacy and air sovereignty operations. Envisaged as helping lead up to Ukraine hosting Euro 2012. California Air National Guard began preparing the event in 2009 via the State Partnership Program.
Exercise Sage Brush – November–December 1955 joint U.S. Army/Air Force exercise at Fort Polk, Louisiana, lasting forty-five days.[223] Involved 110,000 Army and 30,500 Air Force personnel to trial army airmobility concepts to try to settle a dispute over the matter by the Army and Air Force. Some helicopter lift provided by the special 516th Troop Carrier Group, Assault, Rotary Wing, flying Piasecki H-21s as part of the 20th Combat Airlift Division (Provisional).
McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II of the 52nd TFW based at Spangdahlem AB in Germany, seen taking part in the exercise 'Salty Hammer', 22 May 1990
Saharan Express – AFRICOM Naval Forces Africa scheduled and conducted, multilateral combined maritime exercises with West and North African states, supported by European partners, focusing on maritime security, and domain awareness. Saharan Express 2012 was to be held 23–30 April 2012.[7]
Operation Sand Flea was a series of training exercises the December 1989 invasionofPanama by the United States. These practices were conducted in part as training to defend the Panama Canal (a contingency then called Purple Storm), but were also intended simply to affirm the right of the US military to engage in them.[142] Conducted in the summer of 1989, these seemingly endless movements, also known as "Freedom of Movement Drills," overwhelmed the ability of the Panamanians to observe, analyze and understand the activities. In this way, this program desensitized the Panama Defense Force (PDF) to the coming invasion.
Exercise Salty Hammer – NATO air defense exercise, including sorties flown over the UK.
Operation Secure Tomorrow was a multinational peace operation that took place from February 2004 to July 2004 in Haiti.
Seed Hawk X-Ray – 1971 program to modify Wild Weasel aircraft to operate the AGM-78B Standard ARM[34]
In 1977 the Rome Air Development Center (RADC) began the "Seek Igloo" project to find a replacement for the FPS-19 that would require less power and would run for extended times without maintenance. In 1980, General Electric won the contest with their GE-592 design, and the final design was accepted by RADC on 30 September 1983 and passed acceptance tests that year. This system became the AN/FPS-117 radar. Seek Igloo was officially concerned only with the radars in the Alaska area, while Seek Frost addressed the rest of the DEW Line.
Senior Ball – Shipment of material directed by USAF.
Senior Blade – Senior Year ground station (a van capable of exploiting U-2R digital imagery).
Senior Blue – Air-to-Air Anti-Radiation Missile (?)
Senior Book – U-2R COMINT system, used on flights from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base over the Gulf of Tonkin. First flight 17 August 1971. Information was downloaded in real time to a ground station at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base for relay to USAF fighters operating in Southeast Asia. Renamed Olympic Torch 11 April 1972.[224]
Senior Bowl – 2 B-52Hs, serials 60-21 and 60–36, modified to carry two Lockheed D-21B "Tagboard" reconnaissance drones
Senior Cejay – Northrop B-2A stealth bomber, former Senior Ice (name changed when the development contract was awarded to Northrop on 4 November 1981). Sometimes quoted as Senior CJ.
Senior Chevron – Senior Year-related program.
Senior Citizen – Classified program; probably a projected Special Operations stealth and/or STOL transport aircraft. Arkin writes that this was an Aurora reconnaissance aircraft or similar low observable system (Arkin, 495).
Senior Class – Shipment of material directed by Headquarters USAF.
Senior Club – Low-observable anti-tamper advanced technology systems assessment.
Senior Crown – Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, based on CIA-sponsored A-12 "Oxcart"
Senior Dagger – A test & evaluation exercise performed by Control Data Corp. for Air Force Rome Air Development Center for purposes of reconnaissance. It may involve flights of Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft in Southeast Asia.
Senior Ice – Advanced Technology Bomber program, including Lockheed proposal and the Northrop B-2 stealth bomber; renamed Senior Cejay on 4 November 1981
Shadow Express – a Non-combatant evacuation operation in Liberia, September–October 1998, to assure the evacuation of Liberian faction leader Roosevelt Johnson (Krahn). Run by Special Operations Command, Europe, involving a 12-man survey and assessment team (ESAT), the USS Chinook (PC-9), dispatched from NSWU-10 at Rota, Spain, and a Hercules-delivered detachment of NSWU-2 which was moved to Freetown. USS Firebolt also arrived. (Arkin, 500).
Shining Express – NEO evacuation in Liberia, 2003, coordinated aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD-3).
Silent Thunder - see Island Thunder
Silent Warrior – Exercise Silent Warrior 16, held in Garmisch, Germany from Nov. 9-13, 2016, brought together U.S. Special Operations Forces and representatives from 19 African states to discuss cooperative methods to combat violent extremist organizations.
Exercise Space Flag is a United States Space Force exercise dedicated to providing tactical space units with advanced training under contested, degraded, and operationally-limited ("CDO") conditions. First held circa 2017.
Operation Steel Box/Golden Python – DOD supported withdrawal of chemical munitions from Germany and coordination of delivery/transport to Johnston Atoll.[231]
Operation Steep Hill (I through XV) – Planning and intelligence operations for the use of military force to prevent violence in association with civil rights demonstrations in the early 1960s. Steep Hill XIII called elements of the Alabama National Guard and regular army into service to protect marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.[232]
Tamale Pete – Vietnam War air refueling operations planning. See Young Tiger.
Tandem Thrust – in 2005, Exercise Tandem Thrust, along with Exercises Crocodile and Kingfisher, was combined to form Exercise Talisman Saber.
Teal Ruby – STS-62-A was a planned Space Shuttle mission to deliver a reconnaissance payload (Teal Ruby) into polar orbit
Exercise Teamwork was a major NATO biennial exercise in defense of Norway against a Soviet land and maritime threat. It was established by Norway, Denmark, the UK and the U.S. in 1982 and grew considerably up until the early 1990s. Teamwork '88 allowed NATO to evaluate its ability to conduct a maritime campaign in the Norwegian Sea and project forces ashore in northern Norway. Teamwork '92 was the largest NATO exercise for more than a decade.[235] Held in the northern spring of 1992, it included a total of over 200 ships and 300 aircraft, held in the North Atlantic. Vice Admiral Nicholas Hill-Norton, Flag Officer, Surface Flotilla, led the RN contingent as Commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare Striking Force (CASWF), with Commodore Amphibious Warfare (COMAW) embarked in HMS Fearless.[236]
Tempest Express – United States Pacific Command computer-assisted exercise to train the HQ USPACOM staff to function as a Joint Task Force headquarters. The exercise is held as often as needed, three to seven times a year.[235] Tempest Express 2013 involved elements of the PACOM command post traveling to New Zealand to carry out a disaster relief exercise.
Tempest Rapid – Employment of DOD resources in natural disaster emergencies in the Continental United States.
Trojan Horse – Replacement name for Lucky Dragon operations starting in December 1964. After Operation Rolling Thunder began in March 1965, U-2 flights were restricted from surface to air missile sites. The name changed to Giant Dragon on 1 July 1967.[237]
Ulchi-Freedom Guardian – previously Ulchi Focus Lens. Command post/computerised exercise simulating the defense of South Korea.
Ultimate Hunter – "A 127e counterterrorism program using a U.S.-trained, equipped and directed Ugandan force in Somalia."[13] The base mentioned was Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
United Effort – Use of Ryan 147E drones and Boeing RB-47H to gather ELINTonSA-2 sites in North Viet Nam. First missions flown 16 October 1965. Fourth mission successfully captured the fusing signal before being hit by the SA-2. With the critical information obtained and all drones lost, the operation was terminated in February 1966 and the B-47s returned to Forbes Air Force Base.[239]
Operation United Shield 1995 – Support of US withdrawal from Somalia.
Upper Hand – A joint U.S.-Norwegian exercise designed to promote proficiency in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), underway logistic support, and communications procedures.[238]
Exercise Valiant Usher 86 – a declassified U.S. Central Command historical document[242] said that: 'Valiant Usher 86 was conducted in Somalia from 1 to 7 November 1985. Initially planned to be an amphibious, combined/joint exercise including the Mediterranean Marine Amphibious Unit/Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)and [Somali] forces, the exercise was completely restructured when the ARG was retained in the Mediterranean and replaced with a battalion (-) of the 101st Airborne Division. In spite of limited planning time, the exercise was described as a "total success", highlighting both the rapid capability.. to substitute forces, as well as the flexibility of the forces to accomplish assigned objectives.'
Volant Oak – See Coronet Oak. Operation name when directed by Military Airlift Command from 1977 to 1992
Volant Solo – Coronet Solo renamed when EC-130Es replaced EC-121s as psychological warfare aircraft.[53]
Exercise Vortex Warrior – RAF Chinook exercise for desert operations in preparation for Afghan deployments at the U.S. Naval Air Facility El Centro, in Imperial County, Southern California. 2014, planned 2018.
Wanda Belle – "was Nancy Rae, 1 RC-135S '59-1491', named after Wanda Leigh O'Rear, daughter of Big Safari program director F. E. O'Rear, 01/1964-01/1967, to Rivet Ball, modified under Big Safari."[243]
Project Water Supply – Project by Sandia Laboratories and the Army Corps of Engineers to design and construct storage sites for nuclear weapons. The first site opened in 1949 and the last in 1957.[244]
White Cloud – (1) A Navy program for liquid propellant guns; (2) USN, ocean reconnaissance/surveillance Naval Ocean Surveillance System, first generation of satellites.[246]
Chinook helicopters from No. 18 (B) Squadron RAF practising desert operations during Exercise Vortex Warrior '14, April 2014.
Operation White Star, also known as Project White Star, was a United States military advisory mission to Laos in 1959–62.
^ abcdefghijklvan Geffem, Theo (2019). "U.S. Mini-air War Against North Vietnam: Protective Reaction Strikes 1968–1972". Air Power History. 66 (2). Air Force Historical Foundation.
^"Operation Bullet Shot". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011. and bootlen (1 September 2007). "USAF has hit Al Queda in Africa"(forum). ARP For non HVAC topics. HVAC-Talk. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
^"Operation DESERT THUNDER I and II". December 11, 2018. and Tommy R. Franks, Ron Williams, and Sean MacFarland, “Operation DESERT THUNDER – Kuwait,” Center for Army Lessons Learned Newsletter, no. 6 (2000), U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command,
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. March 2000. 48pp.
^ abCaptain J. Stephen Hoefel (May 16, 2000). "U.S. Joint Task Forces in the Kosovo Conflict"(PDF). pp. ii, 4. Archived(PDF) from the original on July 3, 2021., see also Department of Defense, "Kosovo After-Action Report," pg17.
^Cotter, L[awrence] R.: Sputniks and Space, The National Space Surveillance Control Center. Presentation before a joint meeting of the New England Society for Paint Technology and The New England Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association. Boston: 19 January 1961
^Air Force Cambridge Research Center. Background of National Space Surveillance Control Center. Press release 60-P7. Bedford, MA: February 1960?
^Danita L. Hunter,『United States Transportation Command, 10 Years of Excellence, 1987–1997』(Scott Air Force Base, IL: USTRANSCOM) cited in Bridges and Navarro, "Mobilizing for Major War", Parameters, Vol 47, No. 2, 2017, p.92.
^Fontenot, Gregory, Edward J. Degen, and David Tohn. On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004.
^Scales, Robert H. (1993). Certain Victory: The United States Army in the Gulf War. Office of the Chief of Staff, United States Army.; Daniel L. Haulman in Warnock, p. 179
Cahill, Joseph (Summer 2021). "Fly High, Fly Low: SAC Photographic Reconnaissance in Southeast Asia". Airpower History. 68 (2). Air Force Historical Foundation.
Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-043-7.
Robinson, Colin D. (2019). "Glimpse into an Army at its Peak: Notes on the Somali National Army in the 1960-80s". Defence and Security Analysis. 35 (4): 423–429. doi:10.1080/14751798.2019.1675944. S2CID211441701.
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