Sling Stone Elevates Warfighter Skills and Guam’s Defense Strategy

The FEM-02 Aegis Guam System missile intercept test, conducted on December 10, served as a crucial training exercise to enhance tactical proficiency, improve force interoperability, and strengthen communication across military and civil sectors. This event was part of a broader strategy to ensure a whole-of-government crisis response capability.

The exercise, known as Sling Stone, was executed alongside Joint Task Force-Micronesia (JTF-M), affirming the operational concepts of the Guam Defense System. It integrated resources and personnel from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and allied forces, using the missile intercept as a platform for comprehensive multi-domain training.

Rear Adm. Greg Huffman of the Navy acknowledged the exercise’s success, emphasizing the daily commitment of the joint-service team to uphold a formidable defense in the Indo-Pacific region. He noted the value of utilizing the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) test as a training tool, contributing valuable insights for further enhancing Guam’s defense architecture against evolving missile threats.

Sling Stone unfolded in two key phases. The initial phase preceded the FEM-02 test, featuring live, virtual, and constructive training scenarios simulating real-world multi-domain operations across land, air, and sea domains.

The second phase leveraged the missile intercept to enhance joint force capabilities in detecting, tracking, and simulating the engagement of threats. A Standard Missile-3 Block IIA, launched from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, successfully intercepted a surrogate Medium Range Ballistic Missile target positioned over 200 nautical miles northeast of Guam, which was deployed from an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.

In tandem, the USS Milius, an Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer, detected and tracked the missile from a sea-based position, supporting air defense operations. Task Force Talon, part of the Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit on Guam, also acquired tracking data, ensuring island-wide ballistic missile defense coverage.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Haguro, a Maya-class guided-missile destroyer, participated in the exercise, facilitating increased interoperability between international forces and promoting a comprehensive, shared information dynamic.

Joint Task Force-Micronesia and Joint Region Marianas maintain ongoing cooperation with the Government of Guam to ensure seamless coordination of military operations and exercises. Sling Stone presented a chance for military entities and Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense to refine notification procedures and bolster crisis-readiness to better serve the civilian population.

The FEM-02 initiative is part of a sustained effort to fortify Guam’s defense, contributing to the broader objective of establishing and maintaining the Guam Defense System. This system will employ a collaborative approach, integrating Army, Navy, Air Force, and MDA capabilities to realize Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense through a layered defense mechanism.

JTF-M is dedicated to its mission of Homeland Defense, Civil Authority Support, and Foreign Humanitarian Assistance, adopting a comprehensive government strategy within its designated operations region.