Valiant Shield

Valiant Shield was a large war game conducted by the United States military in the Pacific Ocean in June 2006. The exercise began on 19 June 2006 and lasted for five days, concluding on 24 June 2006. According to the Navy, Valiant Shield focused on cooperation between military branches and on the detection, tracking, and engagement of units at sea, in the air, and on land in response to a wide range of missions.cite web |url=http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=24224 | title= Valiant Shield Provides Valuable Joint Training Among U.S. Military Forces |work=Navy newsstand |date=2006-06-20 |accessdate=2006|06-24] The exercise involved 22,000 personnel, 280 aircraft, and thirty ships, including the supercarriers USS "Kitty Hawk", USS "Abraham Lincoln", and USS "Ronald Reagan". It was the largest military exercise to be conducted by the United States in Pacific waters since the Vietnam War, and it was also the first time observers from the People's Republic of China were allowed to view U.S. wargames. The exercise marked the first of what will become biennial exercises involving different branches of the U.S. military.

Observers

Observers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy were invited to attend, as were naval officers from India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Russia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It was the first time observers from the People's Republic of China had ever been sent to observe U.S. war games.cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/06/20/guam.wargames.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest |title= U.S. begins massive war games in Pacific |work=CNN.com |format=HTML |accessdate=2006-06-20] China sent a ten-person delegation, including one high-ranking officer each from its navy, army, and air force, as well as officials from its foreign ministry.cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062000114.html |title=Chinese Observers Watch U.S. Wargames |work=washingtonpost.com |accessdate=2006-06-27] According to "USA Today", Chinese military observers said that observing the exercises gave them a better understanding of U.S. weapons and tactics. Rear Admiral Zhang Leiyu, leader of the delegation, called the visit to the war games near Guam "a positive step in China-U.S. military ties."

Military ties between the United States and China have not been close ever since a communist government came to power in China. Admiral William J. Fallon, the top U.S. commander in the Pacific, said it was "a start" that China accepted his invitation to observe the large-scale exercises. [cite web | url=http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=116&sid=819748 | title=Commander says Chinese military more open |work=WTOPnews.com |date=2006-06-13 |accessdate=2006-06-20] Fallon indicated before the exercises began that he expected China to reciprocate. However, neither Zhang or the Xinhua report gave any indication that such an invitation was forthcoming.cite news | url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-06-22-china-wargames_x.htm?csp=34 |title=China pleased after watching U.S. wargames |work=USAToday.com |date=2006-06-22 |accessdate=2006-06-24]

The exercise had implications for other world events as well, including acting as a show of force to possibly deter North Korea from test-firing its new Taepodong-2 missile. [cite web | url=http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1885100.php| title=Valiant Shield: a display of strength and numbers|work=Marine Corps Times |date=2006-06-21 |accessdate=2006-06-21]

Operations

Operations in Valiant Shield included Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard units. Air operations including thousands of sorties as well as in-air refuelings and parachute deployments. Aircraft from Valiant Shield deployed on missions ranging across the Pacific all the way to Alaska. Ship operations included simulated anti-submarine warfare.

Participating forces

The following U.S. forces participated in Valiant Shield 2006:cite web |url=http://www.pacom.mil/exercises/vs2006/links.shtml | title=Participants in Valiant Shield 2006 | work=Valiant Shield 2006 |accessdate=2006-06-23]

*Joint Task Force 519 staff, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
*Joint Task Force 519 Joint Force Air Component Command, Kenney Headquarters, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
*Joint Task Force 519 Joint Force Maritime Component Command, aboard USS Blue Ridge

United States Navy

=Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group=

*USS "Kitty Hawk", (CV-63), United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan
*Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan
*USS "Cowpens", (CG-63), Yokosuka, Japan
*USS "John S. McCain", (DDG-56), Yokosuka, Japan
*USS "Vandegrift", (FFG-48), Yokosuka, Japan
*USS "Lassen", (DDG-82), Yokosuka, Japan
*USS "Curtis Wilbur", (DDG-54), Yokosuka, Japan
*USS "Fitzgerald", (DDG-62), Yokosuka, Japan

Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group

*USS "Abraham Lincoln", (CVN-72), Naval Station Everett, Wash.
*Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), Naval Air Station Lemoore, California
*USS "Mobile Bay", (CG-53), Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
*USS "Shoup", (DDG-86), Everett, Wash.
*USS "Russell", (DDG-59) Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group

*USS "Ronald Reagan", (CVN-76), San Diego, Calif.
*Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14), Lemoore, Calif.
*USS "Decatur", (DDG-73), San Diego, Calif.
*USS "Lake Champlain", (CG-57), San Diego, Calif.
*USS "McCampbell", (DDG-85), San Diego, Calif.
*USNS "Rainier", (T-AOE-7), Naval Base Bremerton, Washington

Other Navy Units

*USS "Blue Ridge", (LCC-19), Yokosuka, Japan
*USS "Houston", (SSN-713), Guam
*USS "Honolulu", (SSN-718), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
*USS "City of Corpus Christi", (SSN-705), Guam
*USS "Tucson", (SSN-770), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
*USNS "Impeccable", (T-AGS-23)
*RV Cory Chouest
*MV PFC "James Anderson Jr.", (T-AK-3002)
*MV MAJ "Bernard F. Fisher", (T-AK-4396)
*USNS "Watson", (T-AKR-310)
*SS "Cape Jacob", (T-AK-5029)
*SS "Petersburg", (T-AOT-9101)
*Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light 51 (HSL-51), SH-60 Detachments 1,2,3,4,6,11, Atsugi, Japan
*Patrol Squadron Nine, P-3C Detachment, Kaneohe, Hawaii
*Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One, EP-3E Detachment, Misawa, Japan
*Strategic Communications Wing One, E-6 Detachment

United States Air Force

=13th Air Force/Kenney Headquarters (PACAF)=

*Pacific Air Operations Center, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
*36th Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam

=5th Air Force (PACAF)=

*18th Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan (F-15C/KC-135/E-3)
*35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan (F-16CJ)

=8th Air Force (ACC)=

*509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri (B-2)

=11th Air Force (PACAF)=

*3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska (F-15E)

=18th Air Force (AMC)=

*60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB California (KC-10)
*305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB New Jersey (KC-10)

=New York Air National Guard=

*107th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls, NY (KC-135)

United States Marine Corps

* III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan
* VFA-97, Iwakuni, Japan (F/A-18C)

United States Coast Guard

*USCGC "Galveston Island" (WPB-1349), Guam

References

External links

* [http://www.pacom.mil/exercises/vs2006/ Valiant Shield '06 official page]