US, allied air forces, joint partners strengthen readiness in Bamboo Eagle 25-1

Published Feb. 10, 2025
57th Wing Public Affairs

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) --

The U.S. Air Force Warfare Center kicked off Bamboo Eagle 25-1—a combined exercise featuring the U.S. Air Force alongside the joint force and allied forces from the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and, for the first time, Royal Canadian Air Force designed to enhance cooperation, agility and combat readiness in order to improve interoperability.

At its core, Bamboo Eagle focuses on Agile Combat Employment —a strategy that ensures forces can quickly adjust, relocate and sustain operations from multiple locations, even in contested environments.

“We have had the luxury of operating from safe haven bases for many decades, and modern threats have fundamentally changed that reality,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, USAFWC commander. “Bamboo Eagle is a big part of helping us figure out how to manage those threats, and training together with our allies improves our ability to face those threats as a unified team.”

Two Airmen and an F-35 — Staff Sg. Clarissa Escarsega, who works in supply for the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, and Senior Airman Austin Paisar, a weapons crew member by trade, prepare and F-35A Lightning II prior to a mission during Red Flag 25-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Feb. 5, 2025. The squadron is continuing to train Airmen from different career fields to launch combat sorties. This iteration of Red Flag marks 50 years of high-end training, highlighting Red Flag’s enduring legacy of preparing its participants to be combat-ready and mission-effective in the face of evolving threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Micah Garbarino)

four airmen in a rivet joint — Airmen from the 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron and 97th Intelligence Squadron integrate with the Royal Air Force’s 51st Squadron on a RC-135V/W Rivet Joint before Red Flag 25-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 26, 2025. Red Flag provides participants the opportunity to plan and employ together in a contested, degraded and operationally limited environment to strengthen integration among partners to maximize strategic capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chris Thornbury)

pilot entering an F-18 — U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Travis Bond, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 209, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, climbs into a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler during Red Flag-Nellis 25-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Feb. 5, 2025. Exercises like Red Flag, provide aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jordan McCoy)

The USAFWC designed Bamboo Eagle to test and refine joint and coalition forces’ ability to deploy aircraft, equipment, and personnel to unfamiliar airfields, ensuring they can sustain operations under pressure. The goal is to build a more agile and resilient force capable of deterring threats in a rapidly evolving security environment.

“This is the largest number of aircraft we’ve deployed for an exercise at Nellis (AFB) since we first attended Red Flag in 1980,” said RAAF Group Captain Stewart Seeney. “These exercises provide a realistic training environment where we can integrate different capabilities and develop our ability to work with key allies and partners. For many of our aviators, deploying on these exercises is a career highlight and is not an experience that can be easily replicated elsewhere.”

As global security challenges continue to evolve, exercises like Bamboo Eagle ensure the U.S. and its allies remain ready to respond together. By strengthening these international and joint partnerships, the exercise reinforces the commitment to stability, security and cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.