KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- The 18th Wing conducted a four-day routine readiness exercise to equip Airmen at Kadena Air Base, Japan, with cutting-edge capabilities and new operational concepts, May 5-8, 2025.
Airmen tested a range of capabilities, including rapid emergency response, battle damage assessment and repair, and sustained sortie generation to deliver effects at the location and time of our choosing.
“Our priority is making sure we’re prepared to defend Japan,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, 18th Wing commander. “Exercises like this help us test our response under pressure, and that’s exactly what we need to do as a combat wing.”
Airmen responded to progressively more intense, no-notice challenges, exercising tireless motivation and an unceasing vigilance with a commitment to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“Our Airmen are out there doing the mission every day,” said Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief. “Exercises like this sharpen their skills under pressure and make sure they are ready when it matters.”
Kadena demonstrated its readiness by simulating the swift deployment of personnel, cargo, and aircraft in response to a contingency scenario utilizing the agile combat employment model.
On the second day, the wing executed a large-scale demonstration known as an “Elephant Walk,” in which more than 50 assets from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army came together to strengthen joint integration and maximize air and maritime lethality in a demonstration of combat power and regional deterrence.
The formation featured a wide array of advanced platforms, including 24 U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, eight F-15E Strike Eagles, six HH-60W Jolly Green IIs, two MQ-9 Reapers, two MC-130J Commando IIs, six KC-135 Stratotankers, one RC-135 Rivet Joint, one E-3 Sentry, two U.S. Navy EA-18 Growlers, one P-8 Poseidon, and two U.S. Army MIM-104 Patriots.
The 18th Wing integrated these advanced assets to fundamentally help reshape the battlespace in the Pacific to the advantage of the United States and its Allies and partners.
“We’re here to project airpower alongside our joint and allied partners,” said Evans. “That presence matters. It demonstrates our commitment to the alliance with Japan and to maintaining stability across the Indo-Pacific.”
As the exercise progressed through the week, tasks and workloads grew more complex, requiring the wing to project airpower during a multitude of emergency scenarios to ensure a rules-based international order is upheld.
“We tested the wing’s ability to generate and employ airpower, and that meant more than just flying planes,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel House, 18th Wing Inspector General. “Mission support provided fuel, food, beds, security and communications. Maintenance armed and fixed aircraft. Medical treated injuries. Civil engineers cleared unexploded ordnance and repaired battle damage. Ops flew and ran the airfield. This exercise showed we could execute every function required during wartime.”
As the U.S. Air Force’s largest combat wing, Kadena’s strategic position makes it a vital staging location for collaboration with international partners, deterring regional adversaries.
“The team performed at a high level throughout this exercise,” said Evans. “They kept the mission moving even as we increased the pressure. That’s what combat readiness looks like. We’re proving we can deliver under tough conditions.”
The 18th Wing will continue to learn from planned and executed operations and respond with those honed capabilities to real-world scenarios as the Keystone of the Pacific, using its resources and efforts to sustain a favorable global security environment using airpower in line with the Pacific Air Forces’ 2030 strategy.