Classified War Games to Simulate Global Conflict With China and Russia

The results of the war games will influence troop levels and military budgets

According to a report from CNN, the US military is preparing for classified war games it will hold this summer. While the enemies will have fictional names, the exercise will simulate a global conflict with China and Russia.

Pentagon officials told CNN that the war games will be headed by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Miley. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be briefed as the exercises play out.

The scenarios that could be simulated in the war games include major cyberattacks, a Russian advance in the Baltics, confrontation in the Arctic with Russia, incidents with China in the South China Sea, and a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

The Biden administration is currently reviewing its military policies, including a Pentagon review of US posture in Asia, part of an overall review of the military’s China policy. The results of the war games could have an impact on troop numbers around the world and could be a factor in making decisions on military budgets.

Anonymous officials speaking to CNN hinted that the results of this summer’s war games will not look good for the US, which means they will be used to justify more military spending. One former US Defense official told CNN that in previous war games that simulated conflict with Russia and China, “We found the Blue Team, the US and allies, kept losing.”

US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) has its hand out for an additional $27 billion in funding between 2022 and 2027. Included in INDOPACOM’s wishlist is a plan for a network of long-range missiles in Asia and a missile-defense system for the US base in Guam.

The outgoing head of INDOPACOM, Adm. Phillip Davidson, has been hyping the threat of China to secure this funding. His replacement, Adm. John Aquilino, is following the same script and told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is “much closer to us than most think.”

Besides Asia, the US military is looking to expand its presence in the Arctic, the Baltics, and the Black Sea.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.