Latest news with #Department-LevelExercise
Newsweek
2 days ago
- General
- Newsweek
Map Shows Reach of US Air Force's Pacific War Games
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Newsweek map shows where the United States has mobilized military aircraft across the Western Pacific during two large-scale Air Force exercises this month amid China's growing threat. Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 (REFORPAC 2025), which is taking place from July 10 to August 8, is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, according to the U.S. Air Force. The series aims to conduct large-scale operations in "contested, dynamic environments." Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters Amid China's military buildup, the Pentagon has deployed some of its most capable units to the Indo-Pacific—its priority theater—including an aircraft carrier equipped with stealth fighter jets, submarines armed with long-range missiles, and a land-based anti-ship missile system. The Department-Level Exercise series coincides with Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, a multinational drill held across Australia and Papua New Guinea, involving over 35,000 personnel from the U.S. and 18 other Indo-Pacific, North American, and European countries. What To Know According to the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, the Department-Level Exercise series involves about 400 aircraft and over 12,000 personnel across more than 50 locations spanning 3,000 miles. United States military aircraft stand by for mission operations in support of the Department-Level Exercise series at Yokota Air Base in Japan on July 14, 2025. United States military aircraft stand by for mission operations in support of the Department-Level Exercise series at Yokota Air Base in Japan on July 14, 2025. Airman Kayla Karelas/U.S. Air Force REFORPAC 2025, which features more than 300 aircraft, has been described as Pacific Air Forces' "most comprehensive contingency-response exercise," designed to train military personnel to maintain readiness and execute missions under stress. According to photos released by the U.S. military, aircraft deployed at three bases in Japan—Misawa Air Base, Yokota Air Base, and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni—are taking part in REFORPAC 2025 and Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025. South of Japan, Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—the westernmost U.S. territory and a major military hub—and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands are also supporting the exercises. The U.S. military is reviving a World War II-era airfield on Tinian for future use. Located east of Guam and Tinian, the U.S. Air National Guard deployed fighter jets to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. Meanwhile, in the South Pacific, Australia—a key U.S. ally—has hosted U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tankers in its Northern Territory. United States Air Force F-22 fighter jets taxi on the flight line during Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 in Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands, on July 17, 2025. United States Air Force F-22 fighter jets taxi on the flight line during Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 in Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands, on July 17, 2025. Airman 1st Class Tala Hunt/U.S. Air Force Participating aircraft include fighter jets, aerial refueling tankers and transport planes. The Pacific Air Forces said it executed a rapid, large-scale deployment of aircraft, personnel, and equipment to multiple locations across the Indo-Pacific, where these units will train and integrate with allies and partners in the coming weeks to enhance readiness and cooperation. General Kevin Schneider, commander of the Pacific Air Forces, praised participating airmen for their global teamwork, which he said demonstrated a collective capability to project decisive U.S. air power into and throughout the Indo-Pacific with dramatic speed and scale. What People Are Saying General Kevin Schneider, commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said in a press release on July 16: "[Pacific Air Forces] continually seeks to improve our readiness to respond to any contingency, defend the interests of the United States, and work closely together with our Allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific." Brigadier General Mike Zuhlsdorf, U.S. Pacific Air Forces director of logistics, engineering, and force protection, said in a press release on July 16: "This is a logistical movement at an unprecedented scale—an explosive surge into the theater driven by precision and a resilient joint network." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the U.S. Air Force will deploy additional aircraft to American allies across the Western Pacific, including Japan, the Philippines and Australia.
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Launches Massive Air Force Drills With Eye on Pacific War With China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States launched a large-scale Air Force exercise focused on the Pacific theater this week as the Pentagon prepared for a potential conflict with China over the vast region. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment via email. Why It Matters China, which is rapidly expanding its military power, has been viewed by the Pentagon as its "pacing threat"—a direct, consequential and near-term peril to U.S. security and values—and as its "pacing challenge"—a long-term risk to its influence, position and power. Taiwan, a self-ruled island democracy, is the primary point of clash between the two powers. The U.S. has vowed to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific—Washington's "priority theater"—while Beijing has declared it will seize Taiwan by force if necessary. What To Know A "first in a generation" Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series kicked off on Tuesday and took place across the U.S. and Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Air Force said. It involved 12,000 personnel from the Air Force and Space Force, along with more than 350 aircraft. The DLE series is scheduled to incorporate "multiple command exercises" into an overall threat deterrence scenario—including Resolute Force Pacific, which tested the ability to rapidly disperse units across the region to defend the U.S. and its allies. A United States E-3 Sentry aircraft landing in support of Exercise Resolute Force Pacific at Misawa Air Base in Japan on July 9. A United States E-3 Sentry aircraft landing in support of Exercise Resolute Force Pacific at Misawa Air Base in Japan on July 9. Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell/U.S. Air Force "Our ability to fight and prevail in any contested environment depends on our team's ability to generate aircraft sorties while under attack and often far away from our main operating bases," said General Kevin Schneider, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces. The Pentagon has warned of China's growing missile arsenal, which is capable of targeting U.S. military bases and warships in the western Pacific. Experts have also urged the U.S. to fortify its airfields in the region as they are highly vulnerable to a potential surprise attack. "Training like this alongside the Joint Force, our allies and partners in realistic operating environments using distributed operations is how we integrate capabilities to overcome any national security challenge," said Troy Meink, the U.S. secretary of the Air Force. The U.S. Air Force said the DLE series sought to prepare the service to become a "stronger, more lethal deterrent force" that provides an advantage over competitors and adversaries. Meanwhile, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces announced that multiple B-52H bombers were sent to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam—a U.S. military hub in the western Pacific—from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota on Tuesday as a Bomber Task Force deployment. A Newsweek map previously showed where the U.S. rotated its bombers in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. Pacific Air Forces said such missions enabled bombers to operate from a "broad array of overseas and continental U.S. locations" with greater operational resilience. What People Are Saying U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a news release on Tuesday: "This exercise, the first of its kind since the Cold War, marks a pivotal moment for our Air Force and Space Force, bringing together Airmen and Guardians to bolster our nation's warfighting capabilities." U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin said in a news release on Tuesday: "We need Airmen to move fast and think outside the box, disrupting the operational status quo. We also build trust and understanding through deliberate planning, operating and learning alongside our partners across the Pacific." General Kevin Schneider, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said in a news release on Tuesday: "We must be ready to operate in austere conditions, with degraded networks, and through disruptions to sustainment chains. Our forces must be self-sufficient, mobile, and capable of rapid adaptation." What Happens Next The U.S. Air Force's exercise coincided with Taiwan's annual Han Kuang war game, which began on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether China will respond to both drills by increasing its military presence around Taiwan and in the western Pacific.
