Even when there’s a war going on in Europe, the US military is constantly at it, all over the globe, moving troops, ships and aircraft to dozens of nations, carrying out war games with dozens of partners, from Chile to the Arctic, on all continents, always present on China’s and Russia’s front steps, practicing war.
Almost everyone of those engagements has a codename and in those names it is a battle of Neptune Shield vs. Neptune Strike, Agile Rage vs. Agile Rescue, Pacific Dragon vs. Pacific Partnership, Swift Strike vs. Swift Response. Nobody really tracks this in any methodical way, and we tend to focus on each military exercise (like the US-Israeli Juniper Oak last week) as it springs in the news — biggest! first! longest! most important! — forgeting that this level of military activity is almost a constant to our adversaries.
As Iran looks out this week, the US-Israel exercise Juniper Oak held last week must seem like some prelude to the near drone attacks that happened this week. But maybe from Tehran’s vantage point, this is just more of the same, that’s it been building for over a year, that it is just part of a continuum and a conspiracy that has nothing to do with its nukes or its sale of drones to Russia. That is, that maybe Iran is so used to constant activity and probing that the “news” discovered in the news media isn’t news to them. After all, to move ground forces, ships, and even aircraft takes time — they see it coming. They have satellites. And spies. They have liaisons and allies. They don’t learn about some military exercise when it is reported in the New York Times, we do. (I wrote about Iran war planning and Israel in Newsweek here.)
I’ve compiled this ridiculous list of 230 plus military exercises held in 2022 (almost all involving the US and more than one country). Though my headline says otherwise, it is definitely not every war game, for there are hundreds more held annually, many local, many without codenames, many secret, many.
I am particularly curious that, while Russia’s war in Ukraine dominated the year, and while the US was busy preparing for war with China, focused on North Korea, and Iran, fighting in Syria, and Somalia, in other parts of the world, it didn’t let up on anything. For all the billions that the Pentagon whines it still needs, and for all the talk of shortages in equipment because of Ukraine, they still evidently have time (and assets) to spare to send submarines to South America, to deploy forces all over Africa, and to conduct new war games with Pakistan, just to name a few.
So, are these war games merely routine? Are they defensive or offensive? Are they cover for positioning forces or preparing strike? Do they even send a message, let alone a clear one? One thing I can conclude is that no one seems to see the big picture (my hope here is that someone will follow up with more research and reporting).
And in the names? Is there any message? Do the names that include “strike” win over the names that include “shield”? It’s worth more study, the choices that are made, what it means (if anything). In my review, 2022 was a big year for “agile.” That’s what I conclude is the absolute focus. It is a perfectly indeterminate and aimless goal in which the Pentagon can always declare success.
Here’s the list:
Accurate Test
Adirondack Warrior
African Lion
African Partnership Flight
AGAPINOR
Agile Flag
Agile Phoenix
Agile Rage
Agile Rescue
Agile Spartan
Agile Spirit
Agile Tuskegee
Agile Warrior
Allied Spirit
Amalgam Dart
Ample Strike
Anatolian Eagle
Arctic Dolphin
Arctic Eagle
Arctic Edge
Arrow
ATREUS
Audacious Warrior
Baked Alaskan
Balance Arrow
Balikatan
Balkan Shield
Baltic Ballista
Baltic Tiger
BALTOPS
Bersama Warrior
Beverly Sunrise
Beyond the Horizon
Black Flag
Black Skies
Black Swan
Blue Sky
Brilliant Jump
Bully Vigilance
BUMBU
Bushwhacker
CARAT
Cartwheel
CENTAM Guardian
Cerberus
Chariots of Fire
Citadel Pacific
Citadel Shield
Cobra Warrior
Cold Response
Commando Sling
Continuing Promise
Cope North
Cope Tiger
Cope West
Copper Arrow
Cutlass Express
Cyber Coalition
Cyber Dome
Cyber Flag
Cyber Shield
Daring Warrior
Defender Europe
Desert Falcon
Desert Khanjar
Dharma Guardian
Digital Shield
Distant Horizon
Dynamic Front
Dynamic Guard
Dynamic Manta
Dynamic Mariner
Dynamic Mongoose
Eager Lion
Eagle Resolve
Eastern Breeze
EDGE
Emerald Flag
Emerald Warrior
Equateur / Croix Du Sud
Falcon Talon
Falcon Strike
Falcon Virgo
Fire Blade
Fire Shield
Flintlock
Freezing Winds
Frisian Flag
Furious Aex
Fuerzas Amigas
Garnet Rattler
Garuda Canti Dharma
Garuda Shield
Global Defender
Global Dexterity
Global Lightning
Global Sentinel
Global Thunder
Gobi Wolf
Golden Bee
Golden Sabre
Grand Shield
Green Flag
Gunslinger
Hedgehog
Hoʻoikaika
Hydra Coil
ICEX
Indigo Defender
Iniochos
Intrepid Maven
Intrinsic Defender
Iron Falcon
Iron Fist
Iron Spear
Iron Wolf
Jebal Sahara
Jebel Storm
JLOTS
Joint Warrior
Jungle Warfare Exercise
Juniper Cobra
Juniper Falcon
Justice Eagle
Justified Accord
Kakadu
Kamandag
Keen Edge
Keen Sword
Keris Strike
Khaan Quest
Khanjar Oman
Koolendong
Load Diffuser
Locked Shields
Loyal Leda
Magic Carpet
Malabar
Marara
Mare Aperto
Mavi Balina
Medusa
Mobility Guardian
Mountain Bull
Musandam Fort
NAMEJS
Native Fury
Nautical Defender
Neon Befender
Neptune Falcon
Neptune Shield
Neptune Strike
NIRIIS
Noble Defender
Noble Fusion
Noble Mist
Noble Partner
Noble Raven
Noble Rose
Nocturnal Reach
Nordic Strike
Northern Agility
Northern Challenge
Northern Edge
Northern Screen
Northern Strike
Northern Viking
Obangame Express
Oktober Fist
Olympic Cooperation
Operation Pathway
Operation Viking
Orient Shield
Pacific Angel
Pacific Dragon
Pacific Edge
Pacific Griffin
Pacific Partnership
Pacific Vanguard
Pahlawan Warrior
PANAMAX
Patriot
Patriot Warrior
Pershing Strike
Phoenix Express
Pitch Black
Point Blank
Polar Force
Poseidon’s Rage
Project Convergence
Provider Caravan
Rally in the Swamp
Ramstein Legacy
Rapid Trident
Ready Eagle
Real Thaw
Red Flag
Red Flag Alaska
Red Flag Rescue
Regional Cooperation
Resolute Dragon
Resolute Sentinel
RIMPAC
Rising Griffin
Rock Dawn
Roving Sands
Saber Strike
Salaknib
Sama Sama Lumbas
Sea Dragon
Sentry Savanah
Shared Accord
Shield
Silent Wolverine
Slovak Shield
Solid Curtain
Southern Jackaroo
Southern Strike
Southern Vanguard
Space Flag
Space Lightning
SPAM
Spartan Ace
Spartan Trident
Spears of Victory
Steadfast Cobalt
Steadfast Noon
Steel Knight
Stoic Wombat
Sudden Response
Swift Response
Swift Strike
Talisman Saber
Talon Blitz
Talon Falcon
TAPIO
Teak Knife
Techflag
Thanos
Tiger Balm
Tiger Lightning
Tradewinds
Trojan Footprint
Turbo Distribution
Ulchi Freedom Shield
Ultimate Caduceus
UNITAS
Vajra Prahar
Valiant Shield
Vigilant Isles
Vigilant Storm
Viking
Viking Belt
Virtual Flag
Virtual Flag Coalition
Warfighter
Western Strike
Winter Strike
Wolf Pack
Worthy Partner
Yama Sakura
Yudh Abhyas