Exercise Space Flag is a United States Space Force (USSF) exercise dedicated to providing tactical space units with advanced training in a contested, degraded, and operationally-limited (CDO) environment. The intent of Space Flag is to provide space forces with realistic, threat-based training to enhance their ability to analyze and respond to current and future threats within a broader warfighting context. Space Flag is the USSF's sole large-force employment exercise focused on gaining and maintaining space superiority and was modeled after the U.S. Air Force's Red Flag Exercise.[1][2]
With the activation of Space Training and Readiness Delta Provisional (STAR Delta) on 24 July 2020, the unit responsible for Space Flag has been re-organized under STAR Delta[3] and temporarily re-designated STAR Delta, Operating Location-Alpha (OL-A). STAR Delta, OL-A was previously known as Distributed Mission Operations Center-Space (DMOC-S)[3] or the 705th Combat Training Squadron (CTS), OL-A[4] and is located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.
The first Space Flag was held in April 2017.[5][6] For the first two calendar years—2017 and 2018—Space Flag occurred twice per year. Starting in 2019, Space Flag increased to three times per year,[7] with one iteration as a coalition event. Space Flag 19-3 in August 2019, was the first event to include coalition partners from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and the United States.[8][9]
The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron and 26th Space Aggressor Squadron operate the red cell and provide Opposing force functions or OPFOR for Space Flag.[6]