After Flying Hundreds of Miles, Army Practices Island Warfare as China’s Shadow Looms Large

A long-range assault in Hawaii

Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division traveled over open water before landing at a simulated hostile position in Hawaii. The exercise included troops from the 2nd Mobile Brigade, carried by the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, and supply drops organized by the 8th Theater Sustainment Command.

The 14-day event also involved fighting to take objectives and push back mock enemy forces in Oahu’s Northern Kahuku Training Area. The Army said the scenario represented combat with a near-peer opponent, though it did not identify the simulated adversary.

Taiwan tensions shape the setting

China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has built military capabilities that could support an attack, including options involving an amphibious assault, missile strikes or a blockade, according to a 2025 Department of War report. Beijing has also conducted exercises near the island and launched ballistic missiles into surrounding waters.

Supplying forces across islands

Army personnel set up separated refueling points across Hawaii so aircraft could continue operating without disclosing their locations. Lt. Col. Sean Donahoe, the division’s assistant chief of staff for logistics, said logistics in the Pacific is more than a supporting role.

Troops also practiced moving without detection in areas equipped with advanced sensors, using updated command-and-control networks and tools the Army called “Super-Intelligence.” Lt. Col. Thomas Dolce, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, said the operation showed how to “project combat power across vast maritime distances.”

Readiness without a fixed invasion date

The Department of War report said China is working toward being able to fight and win a Taiwan conflict by the end of 2027. That goal does not mean an invasion is scheduled for that year: U.S. intelligence officials said in March that Chinese leaders had no fixed invasion timeline and did not plan to attack Taiwan in 2027.

The broader exercise included forces from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, France, New Zealand and the Maldives. It followed a separate deployment in which about 300 Alaska-based paratroopers flew 3,000 miles to Hawaii and conducted an airborne insertion.