NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. — Sailors and Marines across the globe and in Hampton Roads are getting ready to work together to practice methods of warfare in order to stay sharp for whatever global challenge may arise.
Leaders at Naval Station Norfolk held a briefing Monday, talking about the exercise. While military officials didn't go too much into specifics, a big part of it involved technology.
A video at the start of the briefing summarized "Large Scale Exercise 2023."
More than 25,000 Sailors and Marines will participate, including 13 retired flag and general officers.
The first exercise of this kind was held two years ago. This year's will be held during the second and third weeks of August, spanning 22 time zones and six geographic regions. It'll use not only ships, planes and submarines but also "virtual ships."
"That allows me to do high-end warfare against high-end weapons systems without demonstrating to potential competitors that may be looking at this while we do that, to know exactly what's going on there," said Admiral Daryl Caudle, Commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
Caudle paired up with Lieutenant General Brian Cavanaugh of Marine Forces Command on Monday to discuss the exercise.
"There's always a new set of technologies that will be incorporated," Caudle said. "They're usually autonomous and unmanned capabilities that we're testing. We're testing communication systems."
In addition to ever-changing technology, there are also different personnel.
"For example, I was not here in '21, so I expect to learn a lot from this," said Lt. General Cavanaugh. "A lot of leadership has changed and all the people down through those organizations."
That includes Sailors and Marines from 50 commands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean.
"So, it's important to balance this going forward to make sure we get the right amount of force and the right amount of emphasis in each of those areas of responsibilities," Caudle said. "Keep that muscle memory going, and know how to fight in all those areas."
From the Hampton Roads area, the U.S. Navy said USS George H.W. Bush, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and USS Harry S. Truman will be included in the exercise.
