JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) —
The Pacific Air Forces‘ International Affairs Division organized an International Observer Program event during the exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025, a four-day tour to provide insight into the exercise, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, July 14-17.
The IOP event allowed partner nations to observe and participate in training activities without direct operational involvement, with participants from the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, South Korea, Canada, Australia, France, and Japan.
“This exercise definitely presents us with a good opportunity to train in an environment that we don’t have in Canada,” said Royal Canadian Air Force Maj. Robbie Hindle, 8 Operations Support Squadron A3 deputy and IAO event delegate.
The visiting delegates received briefings from several PACAF’s Air Staff directorates on subjects including command and control operations, logistics coordination, planning and requirements, and more to illustrate the complexities of executing an exercise at the scale of REFOPAC.
“I think this program has been very valuable. We learned about the process of how the U.S. Air Force is running the exercise,” Hindle said. “Learning how information is flowing, and learning the structure of the exercise, will help me to be able to return home and talk about what training we might be able to tie into different phases.”
The IOP allows U.S. allies and partners to explore how their forces can integrate into the next REFORPAC iteration, working together to solve complex challenges like Agile Combat Employment, while upholding security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Yasmin Fernandez, Pacific Air Forces European Nations Country director, one of the primary organizers of the IOP for REFORPAC, said, “Bringing our international partners to Hawaii offered a unique opportunity to engage directly with PACAF leadership, experience our mission in action and strengthen multilateral ties.”
Fernandez emphasized that bringing delegates to JBPH-H to deepen operational understanding and enhance trust between nations is a key part of the IOP. This setting allowed for open dialogue and meaningful observation between nations.
