Two dozen fighter jets and more than 700 Airmen from Australia, Japan and the United States are enhancing force integration and interoperability during a landmark iteration of Bushido Guardian in September and October 2025.
Hosted by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) at Misawa Air Base, the 12-day exercise is highlighted by the U.S. Air Force’s inaugural participation in the drills, which began as a biennial engagement in 2019.
“This trilateral exercise is more than just flying sorties; it’s about forging stronger bonds, sharing expertise and refining our combined tactics,” U.S. Air Force Col. Paul Davidson said.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) deployed eight F-35A Lightning II fighters and about 130 aviators to Japan, according to the Australian Defence Department. Cooperation among the three nations “is an important pillar of regional security that upholds a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” RAAF Wing Cmdr. Mark Biele stated.
The nations, members of the Quadrilateral partnership with India, are deepening defense engagement to bolster deterrence amid destabilizing moves by authoritarian regimes in China, North Korea and Russia.
Bushido Guardian joins a growing roster of trilateral exercises. Australian forces participated for the first time in Orient Shield in Japan in September 2025. About 200 Australian Army Soldiers joined 1,200 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel and 700 U.S. personnel for live-fire and medical emergency response drills.
The nations’ land forces enhanced readiness and interoperability a month earlier during the annual Yama Sakura, primarily staged at Camp Itami in Japan’s Hyogo prefecture and Camp Asaka in Tokyo.
In July 2025, Japan deployed its largest contingent yet to Talisman Sabre, a biennial Australia-U.S. exercise first held in 2005. More than 40,000 personnel from 19 nations conducted drills across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
In February 2025, more than 2,300 personnel and 80 aircraft, including F-35A Lightning II fighters, from Australia, Japan and the U.S. bolstered joint capabilities and interoperability during Cope North in the U.S. territory of Guam. The exercise, first held in 1978, marked the first trilateral engagement under the nations’ mid-2024 agreement to sharpen air warfare capabilities and expand force integration.
Bushido Guardian 2025 features combat training scenarios focused on integrating fifth-generation fighter capabilities for seamless operations in a multidomain environment, “ensuring rapid responses to any challenges alongside Allies and Partners,” the U.S. Air Force stated.
“By working together, we enhance interoperability, improve our collective readiness and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Davidson said.
