NORFOLK, Va. - Bold Alligator 2016 is currently underway in Hampton Roads.
The exercise kicked off August 15 jointly by U.S. Fleet Forces and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command.
This year, Bold Alligator is a simulated exercise based on a scenario where an amphibious assault must be launched from a sea base. It is designed to improve naval and amphibious readiness.
"The Bold Alligator series has been invaluable to the Navy-Marine Corps team's amphibious operations and has increased our interoperability and cooperation with our allies and partners," Vice Adm. Richard Breckenridge, deputy commander, USFF, commented. "As a synthetic exercise, Bold Alligator 2016 creates a unique opportunity to evaluate planning processes, execute command and control across the amphibious force and provide valuable experience for all participants, setting the conditions for success in Bold Alligator 2017, next year's live exercise."
In 2014, Bold Alligator was a live exercise that focused on crisis response operations with 19 partner nations. News 3 brought you inside Bold Alligator that year.
"Bold Alligator 2016 capitalizes on modern simulation technology to refine joint and combined amphibious operations from planning to execution, with a focus on translating the ongoing exercise efforts to follow-on live exercises," Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commander, MARFORCOM, said. "The combination of realistic simulation technologies and existing communications infrastructure during this exercise provides the Navy and Marine Corps team, along with our international partners, the ability to rigorously train for amphibious combat in an ever-increasingly complex environment by leveraging the efficiencies of virtual and constructive training tools, all the while developing the most valuable warfighting commodity -- personal relationships between military professionals."
As part of Bold Alligator 2016, 15 countries are participating or observing from various commands across Hampton Roads.
