PLA Daily: Top 10 military exercises of world in 2012(9)

I. "Schriever -2012" U.S. international exercise

Exercise time: April 19 to 26

Participating countries: 10 countries including the U.S., the UK, Canada, Denmark, France and Australia

Exercise location: Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the U.S.

Exercise contents: Testing and verifying the combat command system of the U.S. Space Command, coordination between the aerospace system and the ground system, optimizing the aerospace activities to support the NATO's expeditionary operations, as well as carrying out space situation awareness, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance

Concern index: ★★★

Reasons for concern: The escalating military competition in the fields including aerospace and cyberspace among various countries

Military strength committed: The U.S. military was responsible for the organization and command, with the participation by five NATO bodies including the NATO headquarters

Expert's comments: The aerospace and cyberspace integrated operation is currently one of the new-type operation modes to which the U.S. military pays most attention. The "Schriever-2012" series military exercise closely combined the aerospace and cyberspace integrated operations by using the network to simulate the aerospace military operations. The cooperation between the U.S. and its allies in the aerospace and cyberspace was further deepened through the exercise. (By Li Xiang, with the Department of World Military Research of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences)