JANUARY 8, 2026 – Space Training and Readiness Command concluded its largest iteration of Space Flag, Dec. 19, 2025, challenging Guardians as well as joint partners in a contested environment designed to mirror real-world conflict.
The 22nd iteration began Dec. 1 and saw over 400 “Blue” players and nearly 300 Exercise Control Group members across several distributed locations.
Hosted by the 392nd Combat Training Squadron, this iteration introduced the use of live range emitters employed for real-time signal geolocation. This gave players the opportunity to use their equipment and test their skills just like they would in real-world operations.
“As exercise developers, we want to create a realistic and challenging environment for our players to engage in,” said Lt. Col. Bryce Carlson, 392nd CTS commander. “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.”
Space Flag 26-1 also integrated with Combat Forces Command’s Combat Leaders Development Course for the first time, placing combat squadron commanders and enlisted leaders in scenarios designed to assess how they lead their formations under wartime conditions.
Their assessment and feedback provide students and exercise players with ways to improve tactics and procedures, while informing how Space Flag continues to evolve to support combat-ready leadership and operational execution.
An initial team from Space Forces Indo-Pacific Command also participated to assess operational concepts of two different non-kinetic fires elements, a new development which integrates CFC’s Mission Delta 3 and the U.S. Army’s 1st Space Brigade to improve operational planning related to electromagnetic warfare.
“Our ultimate goal is to prepare Guardians and joint operators to win in a contested space environment,” Carlson said. “We continually utilize feedback we receive from our planners and exercise players to evolve and advance our exercises to mirror real-world threats so that Guardians are combat credible and ready to fight as part of the Joint force.”
This iteration’s objectives reflected real-world joint plans and CFC priorities and aimed to facilitate Space Force Generation (SPAFORGEN) readiness and training objectives. Space Flag 26-1 reinforced combat squadron leaders’ and mission planning cells’ ability to integrate plans across CFC and execute operational direction at the tactical level.
“Our teams are constantly innovating to find ways to provide threat-informed combat training environments to our Guardians and joint operators,” said Col. Agustin “Rico” Carrero, Delta 11 commander. “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.”
By Lt. Margaret Blice
Space Training and Readiness Command