Partners in Action

  • Published
  • By Bob Houlihan
  • Airman Magazine

 

  “Our Airmen and Guardians were able to rapidly deploy forces, achieve space superiority, ensure sustained logistics in contested environments and effectively work alongside our allies and partners.”

- Troy Meink, Secretary of the Air Force

 

  When it comes to protecting national security, no single service or country can do it all alone and the Air Force’s Department-Level Exercise series proved that point definitively. While headlines celebrated jets streaking across the sky and cyber operators working behind their screens, the real story was about the partnerships that made everything possible.   

  “The Department of the Air Force is focused on becoming a stronger, more lethal deterrent force,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “The way we will fight in future conflicts is constantly evolving, and this month-long exercise series shows we are investing in readiness and training to meet national security challenges. Our Airmen and Guardians were able to rapidly deploy forces, achieve space superiority, ensure sustained logistics in contested environments and effectively work alongside our allies and partners.”
 
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink is greeted by Philippine Air Force Commanding General Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura outside of the Philippine Air Force Headquarters in Manila, Philippines, July 29, 2025. During his bilateral engagements, Meink emphasized the importance of deepening defense ties and advancing multilateral coordination across the Indo-Pacific. Discussions included enhancing joint interoperability, regional deterrence and shared efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. (Courtesy Photo)

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From the flightline to the forward edge, the U.S. Air Force’s Department-Level Exercises (DLEs) push Airmen to operate in contested, high-end environments alongside joint and allied partners. This highlight reel showcases the scale, speed, and complexity of DLEs across the force—where every sortie, scenario, and simulation prepares today’s force for tomorrow’s fight. (U.S. Air Force video by video by Delano Scott)

The Power of Unified Action

  “The whole idea of this type of exercise is to place maximum pressure on our operational and command and control functions to understand where we need to improve.”

- Royal Australian Air Force Group Captain Darrell May, U.S. Space Forces - Indo-Pacific deputy commander
 
 
Japan, Republic of Korea and U.S. conduct trilateral flight. Fighter aircraft from Japan and the Republic of Korea conducted a trilateral escort flight of U.S. bombers operating in the Pacific, July 11, 2025. Two Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2 fighter aircraft and two ROK Air Force KF-16 Fighting Falcons escorted two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers. The flight continues to demonstrate and train the collective ability to immediately respond to regional security challenges. (Photo courtesy of the ROK AF)
   Across the exercise’s many scenarios, the Joint Force — Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps and Space Force — collaborated seamlessly. They weren’t working in isolation either. Allies from the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and many other nations brought their own advanced capabilities and expertise, contributing to the collective effort.  

  “The whole idea of this type of exercise is to place maximum pressure on our operational and command and control functions to understand where we need to improve,” said Royal Australian Air Force Group Captain Darrell May, U.S. Space Forces - Indo-Pacific deputy commander. “It provides us the opportunity to try different techniques, planning processes and structures to see what works and then get better from it.” 

  These scenarios involved simulated missile threats, cyber disruptions and coordinated strikes — each demanding rapid, coordinated responses. Teams had to make decisions quickly, adapt to the evolving environment and trust their partners’ competencies. It was a comprehensive test of operational interoperability and trust under pressure.
 

A U.S. Air Force C-130H3 Hercules aircraft, assigned to the 700th Airlift Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, with a tail insignia known as the “The Big Square A” flies away from Mount Fuji, Japan after airdrop operations, July 28, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James K. Thomas)

Allies Step Into the Fight

  While the Air Force took the lead in many operations, the effectiveness of DLE 2025 hinged on the substantial contributions of partner nations. U.S. and Australian aircraft conducted joint missions, executing coordinated maneuvers during simulated high-threat air combat. Cyber teams from Japan and Australia worked side-by-side, sharing intelligence and responding rapidly to simulated cyberattacks — sometimes within seconds. Maritime operations further illustrated joint efforts, with U.S. Navy ships working in tandem with British forces to simulate missile strikes against mock targets. These operations underscored the importance of interoperability and trust in both planning and execution.

  This kind of collaboration isn’t just about sharing resources — it’s about building trust and interoperability, which are essential when facing real-world threats. Exercises like DLE 2025 sharpen skills, break down barriers and create bonds that translate into readiness when crises arise. 
 
Allied eyes on the fight. A Royal Australian Air Force Bandicoot system stationed at Bandicoot Node 1 in Northern Australia during Exercise Talon Shield. The Bandicoot system is closely aligned with the U.S. Air Force’s prototype Tactical Operations Center-Light. (Courtesy Photo)

REFORPAC 2025: US, JASDF medics conduct aeromedical evacuation training. Personnel assigned to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Misawa Medical Squadron execute in-flight patient care onboard a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron during Resolute Force Pacific 2025. For the first time ever, JASDF medics flew aboard a U.S. aircraft to observe U.S. Air Force in-flight patient care and basic wound treatment procedures.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooklyn Golightly)

Overcoming Hardships 

  “Control of this exercise meant constantly assessing the impacts of activities across the DLE series, what was happening in the information environment and ensuring maintenance of real-world posture and readiness.”

- Brig. Gen. Chris Blomquist, DLE series director
 
 
Rescue Squadrons Unite and Strengthen Interoperability During REFORPAC. A Japan Air Self-Defense Force Airman assigned to the Air Rescue Wing displays the internals of a UH-60J helicopter for a cross-unit static display and capability exchange during exercise Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025 at Misawa Air Base, July 15, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell)
 
   Large-scale exercises like DLE 2025 are complex. They involve multiple languages, different procedures and logistical challenges. Yet, participants demonstrated that these obstacles can be overcome when everyone shares a common goal. 

  “We knew early on that managing this level of complex exercise required a new way of oversight,” said Brig. Gen. Chris Blomquist, DLE series director. “There was plenty of learning and adjusting along the way and through execution. Such a large exercise had multiple training audiences and stakeholders across the Joint Force, including our allies and partners. Control of this exercise meant constantly assessing the impacts of activities across the DLE series, what was happening in the information environment and ensuring maintenance of real-world posture and readiness.”  

  The exercise fostered greater cultural understanding, easing friction and fostering stronger cooperation in future operations. 
 

A C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, a C-130H Super Hercules assigned to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and a C-130 Hercules assigned to the Republic of Korea Air Force taxi on the Andersen Air Force Base runway before flying by the 81st Liberation Day Parade in Hagåtña, Guam, July 21, 2025, leveraging a training sortie during the Department-Level Exercise series. The flights consisted of 13 waves of aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, and the Royal Australian Air Force showcasing the U.S. and its allies' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler McQuiston)

Why It Matters 

  “Only our Department of Defense paired with our allies and partners could achieve this level of success at speed and scale.”

- Brig. Gen. Chris Blomquist, DLE series director

 
  DLE 2025 proved that future conflicts won’t be fought by any one nation or service alone. Success will depend on integrating capabilities, sharing intelligence instantly and trusting each other’s skills. Interoperability — the ability to operate seamlessly across nations and domains — is no longer optional; it is essential.

  Adversaries are developing new and sophisticated methods of attack—cyber, missile, space-based — and  the U.S. response must be equally advanced. The exercise showed that building these partnerships today is vital for tomorrow’s security.

  The execution of DLE25 demonstrated that the most effective defense relies on teamwork — across services and nations. From coordinated aircraft operations to integrated cyber defenses, the exercise proved that the nation’s collective strength is rooted in building and maintaining these partnerships.

  Brig. Gen. Blomquist, DLE series director, summed it up: “Only our Department of Defense paired with our allies and partners could achieve this level of success at speed and scale.”

  In the end, it’s clear: the most powerful defense is a unified, collaborative force— ready to respond at the speed of global threat. Building and maintaining these partnerships, trusting in each other’s capabilities, and working together is the best strategy for safeguarding the nation and its interests around the world.
 
AMC enables agile and sustained logistics in the Indo-Pacific region during the 2025 DLE series. U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Julie Tatemoto, 51st Operations Support Squadron, airfield operations officer, speaks to a member of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s 2nd Contingency Response Team during the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise series at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 16, 2025. Tatemoto is supporting the DLE under the Language Enabled Airman Program, which deliberately develops language enabled, cross-cultural service members with working-level foreign language proficiency to better support the application of air and space power through strengthening partnerships, interoperability, and adversary understanding. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Smoot)

 
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