Strategic Integration and Deterrence Take Center Stage in Bamboo Eagle

Published June 2, 2025
By Deb Henley
505th Command and Control Wing

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. and HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --

As the pace and scale of joint operations continue to intensify in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Air Force and its partners are drawing strategic insights from Bamboo Eagle 25-1, a large-scale exercise designed to refine the command-and-control capabilities needed for the future fight. Held this past spring across the western United States and Pacific air and maritime domains, the exercise served as a major operational testbed for both emerging C2 concepts and coalition integration.

Our longstanding partnerships with the United Kingdom and Australia are foundational. Bamboo Eagle 25-1 took that to the next level, our allies weren’t just observers; they were part of the decision cycle, embedded in the Air Operations Center, helping us refine how we fight as a coalition from the very first move.

Col. Ryan Hayde, 505th Command and Control Wing commander

The U.S. Air Force Warfare Center exercise focused on improving the operational-level decision-making speed, accuracy, and resilience in a highly contested battlespace. More than 10,000 U.S., U.K., Australian, and Canadian personnel participated, testing interoperability and agility through a range of realistic combat scenarios in combined live-fly, virtual, and constructive operations.

“Operational command and control is the engine that drives combat airpower,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Hayde, 505th Command and Control Wing commander, Hurlburt Field, Fla. “In a high-end fight, speed and synchronization are decisive. Our ability to rapidly assess, decide, and direct forces across domains determines whether we can generate airpower at scale, and when and where it matters most.”

Bamboo Eagle 25-1 also served as a critical precursor to the Department-Level Exercise Resolute Force Pacific, or REFORPAC, which will culminate in Bamboo Eagle 25-3. Lessons learned during Bamboo Eagle 25-1 are directly shaping operational plans, force packaging, sustained logistics under threat, and battle management improvements in the lead-up to the capstone event.

"Bamboo Eagle 25-1 has set a new standard for joint and combined exercises," said U.S. Air Force Col. Frank Azaravich, 505th CCW deputy commander. "By layering tactical, operational, and strategic elements, we are preparing our forces to operate effectively in complex and contested environments."

uniformed U.S. Airmen work on computers — Strategic Integration and Deterrence Take Center Stage in Bamboo Eagle

U.S. Air Force Airmen participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, Feb. 12, 2025. BE is a large scale live-fly, virtual and constructive exercise, designed to employ command and control through rapid reaction, coordination, and integration of weapon systems in a combat-representative environment, generating combat air power while moving and sustaining the expeditionary air base in a dynamic environment. (Screens, papers, charts, documents blacked out for security purposes; photo cropped to focus on subjects.) (U.S. Air Force photo)

During Bamboo Eagle 25-1, the 613th Air Operations Center was stress-tested through scenario-driven conditions that challenged operational continuity—these injects stemmed from real-world processes and planning mechanisms, enhancing realism without artificial simulation. The seamless integration of coalition partners into daily AOC operations was a key milestone, demonstrating the payoff of years of trust-building and aligned C2 doctrine across allied forces.

“Our longstanding partnerships with the United Kingdom and Australia are foundational,” said Hayde. “Bamboo Eagle 25-1 took that to the next level, our allies weren’t just observers; they were part of the decision cycle, embedded in the AOC, helping us refine how we fight as a coalition from the very first move.”

Seamless Allied Integration into AOC Operations

A notable achievement of Bamboo Eagle 25-1 was the embedding of personnel from the Royal Air Force Joint Force Air Component Command directly into 613th AOC core roles. These individuals operated shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. counterparts across Combat Operations Division positions, contributing to real-time decision-making and distributed mission planning at scale.

“Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 further demonstrated the rapid ability for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to come together seamlessly to command and control an exercise of significant size in the Indo-Pacific region,” said RAF Wing Commander Calum Law, Combat Operations chief, 11 Group, RAF High Wycombe, U.K. “Fully integrating and employing personnel and equipment from all domains, alongside niche capabilities from each nation, resulted in a force that was able to punch well above its already considerable weight.”

two uniformed U.S. Air Force Airmen listen to a briefing on a large projector

photo of a large room with cubicles and people working and a large projector with multiple screens.

Law continued, “Testing new techniques, tactics and operating methodologies during these high-end exercises, with the ability to ‘fail safe’, has already led to positive changes in doctrine and best practices to stay ahead of our adversaries and ensure we are ready to win in any future conflict.”

The exercise also enabled the U.K. to demonstrate independent C2 of its assets transitioning from Red Flag 25-1 into Bamboo Eagle using secure, sovereign systems; this marked a key milestone in national contingency C2 development.

“It’s testament to the hard work across the 505th Command and Control Wing and 56th Air Communications Squadron to open up systems access and enable effective training,” said RAF Wing Commander Richard Kinniburgh, U.K. exchange officer to the 505th Test and Training Group. Hurlburt Field, Fla. “Integration between FVEY [Five Eye] partners is paramount for effective and realistic training.”

Royal Australian Air Force Pushes Boundaries of Coalition Interoperability

Australian and U.S. military members work at computers

The Royal Australian Air Force deployed experts from key C2 and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance units, including Headquarters Air Command and 460 Squadron, integrated across the AOC and played a vital role in the exercise’s live, virtual and constructive tactical training scenarios. RAAF personnel supported operations for aircraft such as the F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F-35A Lightning II, and E-7A Wedgetail.

Their contributions resulted in over 800 operational and tactical-level products and marked the first deployment of a Deployable Defence Secure Network within a U.S. AOC—enhancing real-time C2 across 10,000 joint and coalition forces and nearly 5,000 sorties.

“Access to the network presented initial challenges, but it's become more streamlined with each exercise,” said RAAF Squadron Leader Sean Bedford, RAAF exchange officer to the 505th Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. “Australia's use of PAOC SIPR [Pacific Air Operations Center Secret Internet Protocol Router] greatly enhanced interoperability between our AOCs.”

Constructive and Virtual Scaling of Operational and Tactical C2

While live assets provided valuable realism, it was the constructive and virtual realms that enabled full-scale simulation of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific. RAF Wing Commander Mark Still, Commander of the U.K. Air Battle Training Centre, led efforts to incorporate the ABTC and Royal Canadian assets into the scenario, while managing U.K. data flow enhancing allied situational awareness from within the AOC.

“The ability of exercise Bamboo Eagle to merge live, virtual, and constructive environments lets us optimize realism and simulate real-time decision-making,” said Still. “Having the coalition work side-by-side is key to developing the C2 we need to succeed.”

Bamboo Eagle 25-1 emphasized the execution of complex, multi-domain operations and long-range strikes at the speed and scale, building C2 readiness for a peer-threat environment. Live, virtual, and constructive environment integration enabled realistic decision-making under contested conditions, replicating the scale and tempo of Indo-Pacific operations.

"Virtual and constructive scenarios drove joint battle management decision-making across the area of responsibility," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Jones, 705th Combat Training Squadron commander, Kirtland AFB, N.M. "We integrated tactical C2 elements, the AOC, 13th Air Task Force, and the Pacific Watch Center into a persistent, combat-representative fighting force against a representative threat environment. Tailorable virtual and constructive injects allowed us to expand training opportunities and reinforce operational C2 cohesion."

uniformed US Air Force military members stand discussing what they are looking at on a computer screen

uniformed U.S. Air Force Airmen discuss what they are seeing on the computer screen

uniformed U.S. Marines work at a computer

uniformed U.S. Navy Sailor works at a computer

uniformed coalition and US military members work on computers

four uniformed U.S. Marines look at a computer screen

uniformed U.S. Air Force Airmen look at computer screen

uniformed U.S. Air Force Airman look at maps on table.

Laying the Foundation for Deterrence and Future Integration

Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 advanced not only tactical proficiency and foundational C2 frameworks needed to operate at scale with FVEY partners, but reinforced shared standards, improved procedural alignment, and deepened trust among allied C2 elements across live, virtual, and constructive environment domains.

"Exercising together is pivotal to building trust and achieving the seamless integration required in future operations," said RAF Wing Commander Richard Kinniburgh, U.K. exchange officer to the 505th Command and Control Wing and Bamboo Eagle U.K. AOC detachment commander. "Live participation is valuable, but the real opportunity lies in the virtual and constructive environments, where U.K. C2 elements and tactical units can play an increasingly prominent role going forward."

Leaders underscored the strategic significance of the exercise as a preparatory step for larger-scale efforts.

“This was a strategically significant step in preparing for REFORPAC and the culminating Bamboo Eagle 25-3,” said Hayde. “Exercises like this sharpen our ability to C2 joint air operations across vast distances with our allies, demonstrating a credible deterrent against any threat.”

Innovations in Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Bamboo Eagle 25-1 provided a strategically significant opportunity to assess and advance C2ISR capabilities in a contested, distributed battlespace. Operational test experts from the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron executed a mission-focused observation and tactics investigation plan across multiple echelons and domains, analyzing how integrated C2ISR systems perform under real-world stressors. This testing enabled the identification of operational capabilities, validated emerging concepts, and informed future development for joint and coalition C2ISR integration.

“Bamboo Eagle allowed us to pressure-test C2ISR in a realistic, high-end fight scenario, exactly where it matters most,” said Lt. Col. Brad Short, 605th TES commander, Hurlburt Field, Fla. “The insights we gained will shape the evolution of our systems, sharpen our tactics, and accelerate our ability to make informed decisions faster than any adversary.”

Looking Ahead

“Bamboo Eagle is where ideas become capability,” said Hayde. “It’s a proving ground that challenges our forces to execute operational C2 in contested environments, alongside our allies. The scale and complexity of Bamboo Eagle reflect the demands of modern conflict, and the partnerships we rely on to prevail.”

As planners focus toward REFORPAC and the culminating Bamboo Eagle 25-3, the strategic trajectory is clear: sharpen C2, deepen integration, and project airpower with purpose.

“By strengthening C2 and allied interoperability, Bamboo Eagle 25-1 has positioned the joint force to project credible airpower that underpins deterrence,” said Hayde.

uniformed U.S. Air Force Airman wearing a headset and glasses looks at a computer screen — Strategic Integration and Deterrence Take Center Stage in Bamboo Eagle

A U.S. Air Force Airman participates in a combat-realistic scenario in combined live-fly, virtual, and constructive operations during exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 at the 705th Combat Training Squadron’s Distributed Mission Operations Center, on Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 11, 2025. BE 25-1 is a large scale live-fly, virtual and constructive exercise, designed to employ command and control through rapid reaction, coordination, and integration of weapon systems in a combat-representative environment, generating combat air power while moving and sustaining the expeditionary air base in a dynamic environment across approximately 7.7 million square miles. (Photo was cropped to focus on subject.) (U.S. Air Force photo by Deb Henley)

uniformed US Air Force Airman wearing a headset works on a computer — Strategic Integration and Deterrence Take Center Stage in Bamboo Eagle

United States Air Force Airmen participates in exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 at the 705th Combat Training Squadron’s Distributed Mission Operations Center, on Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 11, 2025. BE 25-1 is a large scale live-fly, virtual and constructive exercise, designed to employ command and control through rapid reaction, coordination, and integration of weapon systems in a combat-representative environment, generating combat air power while moving and sustaining the expeditionary air base in a dynamic environment across approximately 7.7 million square miles. (Photo cropped to focus on subject.) (U.S. Air Force photo by Deb Henley)

Uniformed U.S. Air Force pilot wearing a headset flys aircraft from simulator — Strategic Integration and Deterrence Take Center Stage in Bamboo Eagle

A United States Air Force MQ-9 pilot virtually participates in exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 at the 705th Combat Training Squadron’s Distributed Mission Operations Center, on Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 11, 2025. Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1 executed live-fly operations in the eastern Pacific and a simultaneous 24-hour live, virtual, and constructive rolling scenarios, tackling issues involving distributed command and control, communications degradation, logistics and sustainment challenges, and tyranny of distance. (Photo cropped to focus on subject.) (U.S. Air Force photo by Deb Henley)