Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025 kicked off in early July to demonstrate the capability of the United States and its Allies and Partners to rapidly disperse and integrate personnel and equipment across the Indo-Pacific to respond to shared threats.
The coalition of thousands of personnel and more than 300 aircraft from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and other regional forces is focusing on enhancing combat readiness, joint force integration and operational synchronization during the inaugural monthlong exercise, which is being held at forward-operating bases in Guam, Hawaii and Japan and in international airspace.
“With practical, advanced training, we will strengthen the joint response capabilities of Japan and the U.S. and contribute to regional peace and stability,” Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said as the exercise commenced, according to the Nikkei Asia news group.
More than 3,100 Japan Air Self-Defense Force members and about 50 fighter jets are participating, including F-2s, F-15s and F-35 stealth fighters, Nikkei Asia reported. Forces at Japanese bases will simulate such operations as reopening damaged runways and transporting casualties by air.
“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,” said Gen. Kevin Schneider, U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) commander.
“The exercise conditions during REFORPAC will require Airmen to move fast, fight under attack, and sustain combat operations in ways we haven’t done in decades,” Schneider stated.
REFORPAC tests critical skills of PACAF Airmen and their partners, such as flight-line operations, munitions loading, hot-pit rapid refueling, combat search and rescue, distributed logistics, and multilateral air-to-air refueling.
“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,” Schneider said. “I have full confidence that we will be able to do this, but we must continue to refine our skills to stay ahead of the environment in which we operate.”
REFORPAC is part of the Department of the Air Force’s Department-Level Exercise series encompassing all U.S. military branches, along with Allies and Partners, over 350 aircraft and more than 12,000 U.S. military personnel at more than 50 locations.
“Exercising at this speed, scale and tempo is how we prepare for the future fight,” U.S. 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.”
