Personnel at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana will join naval commands across the U.S. East Coast to participate in HURRICANE EXERCISE/CITADEL GALE (HURREX/CG) 2026 from April 13-24, 2026.

HURREX/CG 2026 is an annual exercise led by U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) to certify the fleet’s ability to respond to destructive weather and to ensure the readiness of our shore infrastructure to support the warfighter. The exercise will simulate a major hurricane, forcing afloat and shore-based commands to execute their disaster preparedness and recovery plans ahead of the 2026 hurricane season.

“This exercise allows us to flex and refine our disaster response plans to further protect our personnel and vital infrastructure,” said Capt. Rob Littman, commanding officer of NAS Oceana. “This training is essential to continue our mission to support the fleet, fighter, and family, even in the most challenging conditions."

This year’s exercise places a new emphasis on testing the resilience of our installations. Scenarios will include validating the installation’s ability to maintain mission-critical functions, like power and water, during a simulated catastrophic failure. The exercise is a crucial opportunity to validate procedures and strengthen partnerships with local and state emergency management agencies, ensuring a unified response when it matters most.

While exercise scenarios are designed to be minimally disruptive, some measures may cause increased traffic or delays in accessing the installation. 

For real-time updates on base access and exercise impacts, please follow our social media channels: https://www.facebook.com/NavalAirStationOceana and @nasoceana on Instagram.

About Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana is the Navy’s East Coast Master Jet Base. The primary mission of NAS Oceana is as a Shore-Based Readiness Integrator, providing the facilities, equipment and personnel to support shore-based readiness, total force readiness and to maintain operational access of Oceana-based forces. Visit https://cnrma.cnic.navy.mil/installations/NAS-Oceana/ for more information.