Large Scale Exercise 2025 is the biggest and most comprehensive training exercise in history, according to Navy planners.
More than 900 people from Navy and Marine commands around the world will coordinate with one another 24 hours a day, over several weeks beginning July 30.
“The only reason the United States Navy and the Navy Marine Corps team can do what they do around the world 24 hours a day is because of exercises like this,” said Marine Brig. General Thomas Armas, deputy commander of U.S Marine Forces Command.
Most of the activity is virtual. Ships and Marine units around the world interact with retired admirals playing roles all the way up to secretary of the Navy to simulate a global conflict. In 2023, it involved the USS Eisenhower docked in Norfolk and Marines set up in the field in North Carolina, interacting with commands across 22 time zones.
“How do we send these men and women all around the world and then pass them off to each other? It's hard enough to do stuff in the same time zone. How do we do that over multiple time zones, over the seas in bad weather?” Armis said.
Coordinated by Fleet Forces, which is based in Hampton Roads and run through the Navy Warfare Development Center in Norfolk, Large Scale Exercise happens every two years. The first one was in 2021.
This year, the scenario includes NATO, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces, said Rear Adm. Kenneth Blackmon, vice commander of Fleet Forces.
The exercise has been in the planning stages for more than a year. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with NATO and other allies. The Navy hasn’t seen a change in direction, Blackman said.
“It really hasn't, on our level - working with allies and partners, working the challenges of force generation, those types of challenges don't kind of morph overnight. So we've, we've really had a very similar approach,” he said.
The exercise will contain an element of homeland defense, which has become a greater priority for Second Fleet under the Trump administration, he said.
Navy Reserve Sailors from Hampton Roads will also be part of the exercise for the first time.
The Navy wants to see how fast they can move reserve sailors into the fleet in an emergency, Blackman said.
“Same thing we do with ships at sea,” he said. “Look at gaps and seams. What do we need to improve upon? Where are the bottlenecks? Is it getting them orders? Is it getting them travel (orders)? Is it getting them food?”
To stretch Navy planners, Large Scale Exercise is designed to simulate several crises happening at the same time, from a major conflict to humanitarian missions.
