Twice a year, Operation Agile Spartan brings together the US Air Force and regional partners in the Middle East and Asia, demonstrating their ability to work together, respond to crises and advance security cooperation initiatives.

US Air Force Central (AFCENT) and regional partners from within the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility joined forces for Operation Agile Spartan 25.1 in late January and early February.

Conducted across the Arabian Peninsula, the drill builds on a tradition of AFCENT exercises that focus on improving responsiveness to emerging threats and bolstering security cooperation and interoperability with regional partners.

By engaging with partners across the world, the US Air Force heightens its awareness of the battlespace and improves its ability to operate under any conditions at any time.

A key aspect of Agile Spartan is the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept.

ACE emphasizes the use of agile tactics, such as short landing and takeoff capabilities, to respond to threats in modern contested environments. It shifts airpower from large, standalone bases to dispersed locations and cluster bases.

The use of ACE in the Agile Spartan exercises underscores the ability to integrate with regional partners and generate combat air power in support of operational objectives, according to the Air Force.

It enhances ACE-based interoperability and expands the number of locations from which coalition forces can launch combat missions.

Lessons learned and applied

Over the years, lessons learned during Agile Spartan exercises have been systematically integrated into daily operations at the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

As the Air Force's nerve center in the Middle East, the CAOC is responsible for planning, coordinating and executing air operations across the region.

The CAOC is the operational bridge that integrates and synchronizes strategic decisions to tactical-level execution.

Its work includes many people, programs and processes that execute day-to-day combined air and space operations and provide rapid reaction, positive control, coordination and deconfliction of weapons systems.

Agile Spartan's focus on distributed operations and ACE provides valuable insights that strengthen the CAOC's ability to enhance regional interoperability and operational agility.

By practicing expeditionary operations and agile basing, the Air Force has improved its ability to rapidly deploy and sustain airpower across multiple locations.

Additionally, Agile Spartan has reinforced the importance of coalition partnerships and regional coordination.

Through joint exercises, the CAOC has refined its ability to synchronize air operations with regional allies. This collaboration enhances real-time intelligence sharing, joint airspace management, and rapid response capabilities.