United States
Australia
United Kingdom
Europe
New Zealand
Canada
U.S. Space Command has completed Apollo Maneuvers 2026, its first live-fly exercise intended to demonstrate dynamic on-orbit operations, validate contested logistics, and advance collective space maneuver doctrine.
Inspired in part by the Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941, the event gave the command a venue to test concepts, identify requirements, and strengthen readiness for operations in a contested space environment. Conducted during the first week of September, the exercise focused on three primary tasks: coordinating maneuvers across low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, and geosynchronous orbit; refining maneuver warfare concepts to improve future operational planning; and integrating participating nations from Multinational Force-Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER.
The live-fly elements demonstrated progress in sustained space maneuver and dynamic operations while reinforcing a commitment to a safe, stable, and secure space domain. “Operating from a static, predictable orbit leaves our assets fighting from an easily targeted, fixed position,” said Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command and the Multinational Force-Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER. “To perform, survive, and gain advantage in the space domain, we need maneuverability and survivability in our capabilities.”
The exercise also advanced efforts in contested logistics and satellite servicing. Data collected will inform doctrine, operational plans, and future logistics and servicing requirements tied to sustained maneuver and dynamic on-orbit operations. “Exercises such as Apollo Maneuvers allow us to demonstrate the requirements and capabilities needed to maneuver for advantage within the space domain,” Whiting said. “Executing coordinated activities across multiple orbits through live-fly elements enables us to reinforce the warfighting advantage of our partnerships by refining tactics, examining contested logistics, and developing satellite servicing requirements.”
Apollo Maneuvers 2026 integrated nations participating in Multinational Force-Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER and the Commercial Integration Cell, operating from the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, which is assigned to Space Forces-Space. The integration of allied, partner, and commercial capabilities strengthened joint and combined operations and enabled validation of combined tactics, techniques, and procedures.
The exercise underscored a push for a more agile, resilient, and integrated space warfighting posture. By combining live-fly maneuver, contested logistics experimentation, and commercial and multinational participation, it helped validate concepts that will inform future doctrine, bolster interoperability, and enhance the ability of the United States and its allies to operate effectively in an increasingly contested domain.
