2 days ago
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.
