SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 – How will the U.S. and its allies conduct operations in space to support terrestrial objectives in an ever-increasing environment of space congestion infiltrating all orbits around the earth? Or, more clearly – How is the U.S. deterring and defending against adversaries today and into the future?
This is precisely the question that Schriever Wargame 2025 seeks answer in its 17th iteration, scheduled to take place next year.
Originally established in 1998, the Schriever Wargame exercises have grown in sophistication to reflect emerging technologies. Today, they are designed to explore critical space issues, identify solutions to anticipated challenges, and advance space support within air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace doctrine. The exercises span several days and include participation from allied nations.
The planning and development of SW25 is a multi-year process directed by Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command’s, Delta 10. On July 8-12, 2024 – roughly midway through its planning calendar – the SW25 Mid-Planning Conference/Operational Planning Workshop was held at Space Systems Command and hosted by the Aerospace Corporation.
“Schriever Wargames has a legacy of demonstrated ability to address the complex interfaces among our international partners is exemplary,” said David Swanson, associate professor, War Gaming Department, Center for Naval Warfare Studies, U.S. Naval War College. “No other wargaming organization brings so many partners together to investigate operational issues in the Space domain. This planning event was essential to a successful capstone game.”
SW25’s MPC/OPWS continued the operational design from the initial planning conference and conducted course of action wargaming to prepare for the final planning conference and follow-on wargame execution at the Capstone. Multi-domain planning against an advisory’s space-based threats was the focus.
U.S. participants of the MPC/OPWS included U.S. space components from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Combatant Commands, and other governmental agencies. International space planning partners participated from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, and United Kingdom.
The objectives of the Mid-Year Operational Planning Conference were to:
- Review and analyze updated scenario, execution orders, and intelligence products
- Review notional capabilities and accompanying Rules of Engagement and authorities produced during the Policy/Legal Framework Workshop
- Refine friendly forces course of action and develop draft schemes of maneuver.
- Conduct CoA Wargaming to explore options and enable follow-on analysis in preparation for CoA selection and detailed scheme of maneuver development
To achieve these objectives, the SW25 directors formed a friendly forces cell, an adversary cell, and a neutral/other agencies cell. Based on scenario and actions of the cells, the operational design structure provided a roadmap of the design process of the wargames. The design process provided ample refresher and planning training for those who have attended service and joint professional development education and an inside view for those who are new to the U.S. military operational design process.
“The Schriever Wargame Ops Planning Workshop was a great experience for me,” said Capt. Leah Smith, Space Forces INDOPACIFIC chief of Intel Plans and Targeting Division. “It emphasized the importance of synchronization of force mission planning with broader whole-of-government efforts to achieve flawless mission execution.”
“The Schriever Wargame Operational Planning Workshop was an excellent opportunity to see how our international partnerships work together to achieve strategic wargaming objectives,” said 1st Lt. Katrina Heil, deputy of GRIFFON Terminals IPT, Evolved Strategic SATCOM at SSC. “It was very impactful to see the relationships the U.S. has formed with our allies and an honor to work side by side with them.”
In a leap from sand-table war-gaming (similar to board games), a new Sector 42 computer-based platform debuted to provide an overall view of the space environment with space systems in an orbital vantage allowing for movement and execution of missions. This provided a realistic view of space and how actions and results can be visualized in a 3-D interactive environment. It ultimately resulted in valuable testing results of the scenarios, creation of orders and directives, policies, and intelligence products to be executed during the CAPSTONE.
To ensure the validity of the planning efforts during the conference, the planning teams conducted two rounds of testing of the products developed during the exercise. The result confirmed the direction and efforts of the SW25 MPC/OPWS and will be further developed with the coming Final Planning Conference in October hosted by USINDOPACOM in Oahu, where SSC’s Warfighting Integration Office representatives will participate.
By Christopher W. Chang and Daniel P. Burns
Space Systems Command Warfighter Integration Office