*ARCHIVE PICTURE, NOT THE SIMULATED MISSILE TEST* 180918-N-VG727-1129 PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 18, 2018) A tomahawk cruise missile launches from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) for a live-fire exercise during Valiant Shield 2018. Valiant Shield is a U.S. only, biennial field training exercise (FTX) with a focus on integration of joint training in a blue-water environment among U.S. forces. This training enable real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William Collins III) ..... STORY COPY: The United States military simulated a cruise missile threat to the United States as recently as December 2019. Described as the first field test of a novel approach to warfighting, communicating and decision-making,??? the Air Force, Navy and Army used new methods and technology Dec. 16-18 for collecting, analysing and sharing information in real time to identify and defeat a simulated cruise missile threat to America. According to an Air Force statement, this initial exercise was ??sfocused on defending the homeland???. The three-day long exercise of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) tested technology being developed to enable the military???s developing concept called Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). While JADC2 has been embraced for three years as a critical tool by senior leaders, including Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, until recently it was an idea confined largely to PowerPoint slides and a slick animated demonstration of the concept. But that changed during the December exercise when aircraft from the Air Force and Navy, a Navy destroyer, an Army air defense sensor and firing unit, a special operations unit, as well as commercial space and ground sensors came together to con