Massive US-led military exercise underway in CNMI

Wednesday, 16 July 2025, 5:55 pm
Article: RNZ

Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) will be front and center of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025 as the US Air Force launched its most expansive military exercise in the region last week.

The Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs official Edward Camacho said nearly 300 aircraft and over 600 troops will conduct military exercise in about 25 locations on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota and their surrounding airspace during exercise set from 7 July to 8 August.

The special assistant for military affairs to the CNMI governor Arnold Palacios said that Saipan military exercises started on 7 July, followed by Tinian and Rota's on 8 and 9 July 8, respectively.

The Saipan exercises will be happening until 8 August, with both Tinian and Rota's concluding at the end of July.

Relaying a message from the Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, he said the goal of the exercise "is to integrate and experiment with logistics, sustainment, and enabling capability to bring Fifth Generation Fighters, command and control aircraft, and airlift and air refueling into the Western Pacific region at the speed and scale that has not been seen."

Palacios welcomed the US military and forces from allied and partner nations as they commence REFORPAC 2025.

"The US Armed Forces and our esteemed international partners who are gathering in our region for vital military exercises...their presence underscores a shared commitment to regional security, stability, and humanitarian cooperation," he said.

Palacios said REFORPAC will go a long way in strengthening the alliance between the US and its allies.

The Air Force will deploy over 500 Airmen on Saipan with two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, four Black Hawk medium utility helicopters; approximately 115 Airmen on Tinian and six F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft; and 25 personnel and two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft on Rota.

Camacho said the Air Force assured stakeholders they will toe the line when it comes to mitigation processes to ensure the military exercise is not disruptive to the islands' ecosystems and way of life.

He said REFORPAC is vital to the United States and the region's security "because it showcases our air power and then it also showcases our ability to work with other countries as far as operational interoperability capabilities and as well as communications and maneuvering."

Asked to comment on a request made by four CNMI and Guam groups to have a 45-day extension on the comment period for the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Camacho said that it is not his decision to make.

The Revised DEIS' current 75-day review window for public comments on the Mariana Islands Training and Testing and CNMI Joint Military Training proposals began 6 June 6 and is scheduled to close on 20 August.

"I don't have any problem with an extension of the 45 days. Unfortunately, others might, and the others that might have that issue are beyond my level to make that decision."

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