Air Force, Space Force Kick Off Major Pacific Exercises

The Air Force and Space Force kicked off a busy summer of major exercises across the Pacific on July 8, with thousands of Airmen and Guardians set to participate. 

The Department-Level Exercise series includes:

Mobility Guardian, Air Mobility Command’s flagship exercise 
Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC), led by Pacific Air Forces, which was introduced 17 months ago as part of a “re-optimization” plan to better prepare for potential conflict with China 
Resolute Space, a parallel Space Force exercise led by Space Training and Readiness Command 
Emerald Warrior, led by Air Force Special Operations Command; and
Bamboo Eagle, an Air Combat Command exercise focused on Agile Combat Employment. 

This series will also feed other major exercises, such as Talisman Saber, a joint U.S-Australia-led exercise that includes about a dozen countries and tens of thousands of service members. 

All told, the DLE series will test more than 12,000 Air Force and Space Force personnel, more than 350 USAF aircraft, and satellites and ground systems conducting space electromagnetic warfare, space domain awareness, orbital warfare, and navigational warfare, according to a release. All told, that’s a scale that rivals anything the Air Force has done in years.  

“Exercising at this speed, scale and tempo is how we prepare for the future fight,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said in a statement. “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.” 

Added Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman: “By training at this unprecedented scale, we’re sharpening warfighter instincts, strengthening combat credibility and proving our commitment to deliver peace through strength in the face of any challenge.” 

Developed over the past two years, beginning shortly after 2023’s upscaled Mobility Guardian, the 2025 excercises were developed by planners meeting throughout multiple conferences, wargames, and tabletop exercises, the work was led by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. 

“The scope of these combined exercises is beyond anything I’ve seen in my career,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Weems, a warfare center official at the final planning conference in May. “The concept of executing exercises at this scale, simultaneously, is a massive undertaking and you can sense the energy and excitement of the teams building through the challenges of this requirement.” 

Air & Space Forces Magazine will have comprehensive coverage of the DLE series, including exclusive reporting from Mobility Guardian.