Bamboo Eagle 24-3: Designed for an era of Great Power Competition

Published Aug. 12, 2024
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (AFNS) --

The Department of the Air Force has worked quickly to reoptimize for Great Power Competition following the announcement of 24 key decisions for the DAF to prevail in the challenging security environment of today. New organizations have stood up or realigned, Airman development has been retooled, and operations and training have been honed for future high-end conflict.

These efforts to project power were on full display during the second iteration of Exercise Bamboo Eagle, which kicked off at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and spanned various locations across the United States, specific sea and air spaces in the eastern Pacific and several virtual components Aug. 2-10.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi, and Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center commander, walk on the flightline in preparation for a flight during Bamboo Eagle 24-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug. 5, 2024. Using designated air space, BE 24-3 provides Airmen, allies and partners a flexible, combat-representative, multidimensional battlespace to conduct testing, tactics development, and advanced training in support of U.S. national interests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brianna Vetro) (This photo has been altered for security purposes by blurring a badge.) — U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, left, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi, center, and Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center commander, walk on the flightline in preparation for a flight during Bamboo Eagle 24-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 5, 2024. Through the use of designated air space, BE 24-3 provides Airmen, allies and partners a flexible, combat-representative, multidimensional battlespace to conduct testing, tactics development and advanced training in support of U.S. national interests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brianna Vetro) (This photo has been altered for security purposes by blurring a badge.)

“Today’s security environment requires us to be an agile, adaptable force capable of maintaining lethality in the face of a challenging and dynamic battlespace -- Bamboo Eagle reflects that fact,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “The exercise challenges our team to operate in a contested, dynamic environment against high-end threats on short notice. Training in a combat-representative environment like this helps our Airmen and the Joint Force develop the right operational concepts, capabilities, and plans to bolster deterrence and maintain our competitive advantage against any potential adversary.”

By design, Bamboo Eagle synchronized with the Air Force Force Generation model, which is the service’s sustainable, capacity driven model for presenting Air Force forces to support combatant commander priorities.

A c-17 Aircraft — A C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing sits on the flightline during Bamboo Eagle (BE) 24-3 at at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug. 2, 2024. Through the use of designated air space, BE 24-3 provides Airmen, allies and partners a flexible, combat-representative, multidimensional battlespace to conduct testing, tactics development, and advanced training in support of U.S. national interests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brianna Vetro)

F-15E flying over the ocean — An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 91st Air Refueling Squadron over the Southeast Pacific Ocean during Exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3, Aug. 7, 2024. Through employment of the KC-135 aircraft, the 91st ARS extends U.S. global power and global reach by planning and executing aerial refueling missions for U.S. and allied combat and support aircraft. During Bamboo Eagle, Air Mobility Command assets will support warfighters implementing all-domain combat-power generation from disaggregated basing locations throughout the western part of the U.S., along with distributed command and control, agile logistics, and tactical air-to-air refueling. Bamboo Eagle provides participating units opportunities to reoptimizing for Great Power competition and to focus on mission readiness by to deliver cross-functional and lethal combat capabilities with the speed and agility required to meet pacing challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander Cook)

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, and Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center commander, walk on the flightline after a flight during Bamboo Eagle 24-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Aug. 5, 2024. BE 24-3 is a USAFWC exercise that demonstrates the integration of expeditionary air base Air Force elements in concert with Joint Force-aligned elements to achieve operational objectives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brianna Vetro) — U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, left, and Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center commander, walk on the flightline after a flight during Bamboo Eagle 24-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 5, 2024. BE 24-3 is a USAFWC exercise that demonstrates the integration of expeditionary air base Air Force elements in concert with Joint Force-aligned elements to achieve operational objectives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brianna Vetro)

“Bamboo Eagle provides a combat representative environment,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, USAFWC commander. “By honing our capabilities in dynamic and challenging environments, we strengthen our ability to deter aggression and safeguard our nation's interests.”

During Bamboo Eagle, participants established themselves at various hub-and-spoke locations, conducting movement of assets, personnel and equipment while maintaining command and control and logistics support.

This is central to success in a changing threat environment that no longer allows the Air Force to treat overseas bases as sanctuaries; the service must ensure it can operate in disaggregated places and generate combat air power.

Two F-15s and one F-22 flying — U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and an F-22 Raptor assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron participate in exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3 with 32nd Air Refueling Squadron air crews over the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 9, 2024. As part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, the 32nd ARS operates the KC-46 Pegasus aircraft conducting air refueling missions necessary to support air mobility missions on a global scale. During BE 24-3, Air Mobility Command assets supported warfighters implementing all-domain combat-power generation from disaggregated basing locations throughout the western part of the U.S., along with distributed command and control, agile logistics and tactical air-to-air refueling. Bamboo Eagle provides participating units opportunities to highlight Air Force efforts to reoptimize for Great Power Competition and to focus on mission readiness to deliver cross-functional and lethal combat capabilities with the speed and agility required to meet pacing challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Monica Roybal)

The objective of exercises with speed and scale is to demonstrate the Department of the Air Force’s preparedness for complex, large-scale military operations, demonstrating the ability to operate in a contested, dynamic environment against high end threats on short notice.

Conducting large-scale exercises designed with Great Power Competition in mind emboldens the Department to continue reoptimizing to deter and, if necessary, defeat an adversary.

“Bamboo Eagle is just a starting point,” Allvin said, “Major exercises like this are only going to expand as we enhance our ability to generate all-domain combat-power and reoptimize our U.S. Air Force for today’s volatile threat environment.”

To learn more about the Department’s Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition initiative, visit here.