The latest Agile Spartan exercises demonstrated the US Air Force's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine while reinforcing the service's ability to work with partners, project power and deter threats in an evolving battlefield.

US Air Force Central (AFCENT) and regional partners in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility practiced ACE concepts as a part of Operation Agile Spartan 25.1 in late January and early February.

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

Agile Spartan and other recent training efforts for ACE emphasize distributed operations, rapid repositions, in-air refueling and skills for multi-capable airmen.

This use of the ACE doctrine has significantly enhanced the deployment and operational effectiveness of US bombers across the Arabian Peninsula.

US bombers now are no longer tethered to fixed bases, instead leveraging dispersed operations to stay unpredictable and lethal.

Broadened forward basing means US Air Force bombers can strike rapidly and respond to emerging threats and situations. It also complicates the ability of adversaries to plan, since they can't predict the location from which strikes and responses might originate, or where resources are concentrated.

Strengthening regional partnerships

Agile Spartan represents a long-term investment in regional security, building on a tradition of exercises that enhance security cooperation and interoperability with the Gulf states.

By integrating ACE methodologies, the United States and its allies are building a resilient, decentralized combat force capable of operating across multiple locations with minimal infrastructure.

The most recent iteration, Agile Spartan 25.1, showcased how CENTCOM and AFCENT, alongside the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Qatar, continue to deepen interoperability with Middle Eastern partners.

The exercises reinforce cooperative efforts and refine procedures for combat generation, sustainment and logistics in austere environments.

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

"Our airmen face new challenges every day in the AFCENT arena as they execute combat operations to protect our forces and defend our partners," Ninth Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Derek France said in a January 29 statement.

"The lessons they are learning and the relationships they are building alongside our partners will make us stronger together and be invaluable as the Department of the Air Force re-optimizes for Great Power Competition."