The scale of the U.S. military’s dual exercises in the Western Pacific has been upgraded, with Chinese experts urging heightened vigilance. Despite the U.S. military’s recent involvement in the Middle East conflicts, the West Pacific region remains a focal point for deployment. According to the plans announced by the Department of Defense, during July alone, the U.S. will conduct two significant exercises in the Western Pacific area. A Chinese expert interviewed by Global Times stated that the U.S. military’s related exercises are unmistakably aimed at China and take advantage of this opportunity to refine preparations for large-scale conflicts in the region. This requires heightened vigilance.
The U.S. Air Force’s “Return to the Pacific”
On June 6th, the U.S. Defense One website reported that the U.S. Air Force will commence a two-week, unprecedented “Force Redeployment to the Pacific” exercise starting from July 10th. Similar to NATO’s “Force Redeployment to Germany” exercise during the Cold War era, this exercise focuses on high-end warfare potential in the Indo-Pacific region and simulates new combat concepts such as “Agile Combat Applications.” It will involve nearly 300 fighter jets and thousands of personnel in cross-regional deployment.
According to an article in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force Magazine, to prepare for this large-scale exercise, the Pentagon specifically allocated $532.6 million in budget, making it one of the largest air force exercises in history based on the number of deployed aircraft. The report also mentioned that the U.S. Air Force has been conducting large-scale exercises in the Pacific direction for several years. For instance, the “Northern Edge” exercise in May 2023 deployed 150 fighter jets; the “Bamboo Hawk 2024” exercise deployed about 150 fighter jets at 12 locations; and the “Brave Shield” exercise in 2022 was one of the largest exercises conducted by the U.S. military, involving more than 200 aircraft. The “Force Redeployment to the Pacific” exercise indeed stands as the most extensive of its kind.
A large number of U.S. fighter jets have been concentrated on Guam.
General Schneider, the commander of the Pacific Air Forces in the United States, revealed in March this year that the “Re-enactment of Forces in the Pacific” exercise will fully verify combat logistics during wartime, dispersed mobilization, and interoperability among allies such as Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and others under the “Agile Warfighting Application” framework. Brigadier General Laura Landman, the deputy commander of the Pacific Air Forces, stated that the US Air Force would use this exercise to practice the concept of “Agile Battle Deployment,” aiming to split concentrated air force units into smaller squads for deployment in remote areas to prevent being overwhelmed by an adversary, and to be able to deploy quickly as needed. Brigadier General Alvin, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, expressed that the importance of the “Agile Battle Deployment” concept is due to the need to address a major China-US conflict. He mentioned that the significance of the “Re-enactment of Forces in the Pacific” exceeds that of the famous “Red Flag” series tactical exercises, which are cross-regional real-world exercises.
The “Air Force & Space Force Magazine” reported that the “Re-enactment of Forces in the Pacific” exercise draws on the experience and lessons from decades of previous exercises by the US Air Force, combining air, land, and sea components to respond to a wide range of tactical and strategic emergencies in the vast and scattered regions of the Pacific. The exercise focuses on flexible tactical maneuvers, requiring participants to quickly adapt to changing scenarios and coordinate in real time. The content of the exercise includes: US and its allies’ fighter squadrons, including fifth-generation fighters, engaging in “contested airspace against complex threats”; transport aircraft forces resupplying and redeploying assets under harsh conditions and tight schedules; and command and control teams guiding complex simultaneous maneuvers and combat operations across extensive areas using battlefield management skills.
The US-Australia “Bodyguard Sword” Draws Allies
According to Alvin, the “Troops Return to the Pacific” exercise will also be coordinated with other exercises in the region, including the US Air Force’s “Falcon” exercise and the jointly led “Bodyguard Sword” by the US and Australia.
As reported by Defense News, this year’s “Bodyguard Sword” exercise is scheduled from July 13th to August 4th, involving a total force of 35,000 personnel and participating countries numbering up to 19, an increase of six compared to the same series of exercises in 2023. American media have noted that the increase in participating countries indicates growing attention to this exercise in the Pacific region. The scope of the exercise has extended from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to the coral sea 6,500 kilometers away, marking the longest in the history of the “Bodyguard Sword” series.
Military forces participating in the exercise have been arriving one after another. The US Navy fleet, led by the USS “USS Arleigh Burke”, has arrived in Australia. The British “Queen Elizabeth” class aircraft carrier HMS “Prince of Wales” recently concluded its visit to Singapore and set off for Australia to participate in the “Bodyguard Sword” exercise. The Australian Ministry of Defence announced that this year’s “Bodyguard Sword” exercise added new drills such as cyber warfare and AI military applications.
It is worth noting that this year’s “Bodyguard Sword” exercise will also test the logistics and support capabilities required in high-competition environments. According to Defense News, Rear Admiral Ronald Clarke, Commander of the US Pacific Army, stated that the Pentagon believes it would be difficult for the US military to ensure the ability to “utilize strategic air power effectively in battlefields” if a crisis or conflict broke out in the region. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a “Joint Theater Deployment Center” near the first island chain to reduce dependence on strategic air power.
According to his statement, these “Joint Theater Distribution Centers” must possess the capability of a port to facilitate the docking of large-scale vessels carrying supplies on the water surface, while also needing the necessary facilities for aircraft takeoff and landing to facilitate rapid transportation of supplies. Moreover, during this exercise, the U.S. Army will conduct the first live-fire launch of the new “Tidewater” medium-range missile system in the Pacific region.
In preparation for large-scale conflicts
An expert interviewed by Global Times stated that the U.S. military’s exercises in the Pacific direction indicate that the Pentagon is gradually refining its preparations for potential large-scale conflicts in the region. The Pentagon has previously warned multiple times that the security of military bases in the Western Pacific region is unsafe, requiring complex combat tasks to be executed under the threat of adversary firepower. Consequently, the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy have proposed their respective response plans. Whether it’s the “United States Returns to the Pacific” exercise or the “Protective Sword” exercise, we can see that the U.S. military is rehearsing and testing targeted new combat concepts. We need to remain highly vigilant about this. However, experts also mentioned that although the U.S. military attempts to rally allies to create a sense of overwhelming numbers, most participating countries are not willing to be tied to the U.S. military vehicle. Even European countries like Germany and the United Kingdom participating in the “Protective Sword” exercise, once actual conflicts erupt, can only deploy limited forces in the Pacific direction.
The Pentagon is fully aware of this situation, so while strengthening exercises, it is also accelerating the construction of bases in the region. According to the “Air Force and Space Force Magazine,” the newly approved military budget includes $1.1 billion for military construction projects in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. military also plans to invest $400 million to upgrade runways and infrastructure on remote islands between Guam and Palau, and will invest $128 million in seven military infrastructures in the Philippines.
The Guam Defense System is the most notable, with the Pentagon proposing an expansion plan costing $1.7 billion to strengthen its air defense and missile defense capabilities. This plan integrates the U.S. Army’s ground-based Aegis system with the existing “Patriot” and “Saivet” anti-missile systems. An integrated defense system composed of radar, sensors, launchers, and command and control systems will be deployed at 16 key locations on the island to counter threats from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hypersonic missiles.