As the U.S. military witnesses a dramatic shift in its training philosophy, a common goal emerges. Preparing to deter and, if necessary, defeat great-power rivals such as China and Russia. The most significant training overhaul in a generation is underway in every branch—emphasizing rigorous, large-scale scenarios that simulate the demands of direct competition with technologically advanced adversaries.
The days of counterterrorism-based training are giving way to a singular focus: ensure credible readiness for great-power conflict.
The Army’s Return to Big Wars
Following the Army's renewed push for large-scale training, building on these foundational changes, new formations like the Multi-Domain Task Forces are training in long-range fires, space and cyber integration, and operations to penetrate Chinese anti-access and area-denial networks.
Soldiers are deploying more frequently to Southeast Asia for combined training. Super Garuda Shield 2025, involving over 6,500 troops from 13 nations, highlighted the Army’s shift toward coalition warfare in contested regions.
The Navy Prepares for Contested Seas
The Navy, meanwhile, is recalibrating for an ocean no longer under uncontested U.S. control. In simulations of a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, planners are testing long-range missile strikes, systems to protect ships close to impact (terminal ship defense), and how quickly damaged vessels can return to duty.
Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby has called these war games vital to “countering China’s command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting systems”—abbreviated as C5ISR, which covers the technologies and networks military units use to communicate and gather information.
Pacific drills now prioritize survival and readiness, not just presence. Carrier groups and submarines are training for logistics under threat, decentralized command, and layered defense against hypersonic missiles.
The Navy is also closely monitoring increased cooperation between China and Russia during joint anti-submarine and live-fire exercises in the Sea of Japan.
Future maritime conflict will demand that U.S. ships operate more quickly, with tighter integration alongside allies, and under constant pressure from sophisticated adversaries. A hypersonic missile is a weapon that can travel at least five times the speed of sound, making interception much more challenging.
The Air Force Rediscovers Its Expeditionary Roots
While the Navy trains for contested seas, the Air Force is preparing for skies where air superiority is uncertain. Large permanent bases are now vulnerable to China’s long-range missiles, putting facilities like Kadena Air Base at risk.
The Air Force is shifting back to expeditionary operations—deploying and moving forces rapidly and flexibly—by moving aircraft between smaller airfields, conducting missions from basic facilities, and operating with limited supplies.
This shift was evident during REFORPAC 2025, which involved over 12,000 service members and 400 aircraft across 50 locations over 3,000 miles. The exercise tested the Air Force’s ability to generate airpower under stress and with disrupted communications—meaning when radios or networks are limited or unreliable.
On Okinawa, an 'elephant walk' lined dozens of fighters across Kadena’s runway, demonstrating mass readiness and testing how quickly jets could disperse under threat.
The Marine Corps Goes Littoral
No branch has embraced reform as aggressively as the Marines.
Through Force Design 2030 (a major modernization program), it is transitioning to smaller, highly mobile Marine Littoral Regiments optimized for island warfare.
These units integrate infantry, long-range artillery, drones, and anti-aircraft systems to support the Navy in controlling sea routes and blocking adversary movement.
During recent exercises, the Marines worked with Filipino forces in amphibious assaults (landing from sea to shore), coastal defense, and cyber integration.
These exercises highlight a new mission: not just storming beaches, but holding islands, disrupting adversaries, and sustaining pressure deep in contested zones.
What Ties It All Together
Across all branches, a unified purpose guides training reforms: to outpace and deter peer adversaries in a great-power rivalry.
Exercises now stress contested logistics, degraded communications, and multi-domain coordination, exposing critical gaps such as interoperability.
For example, a recent joint exercise highlighted the challenge of incompatible data-sharing systems, underscoring the necessity for seamless integration to achieve the broader mission of synchronized operations in high-threat environments.
The Army War College states in Adapting U.S. Defense Strategy to Great-Power Competition that resource decisions are still catching up, but the trajectory remains clear.
The RAND Corporation cautions that the U.S. must ensure training realism keeps pace with adversaries’ modernization. Large-scale exercises like REFORPAC and Super Garuda Shield are therefore designed to simulate chaotic, degraded environments.
Why It Matters
For active-duty members and Veterans, these changes directly impact deployments, training, and readiness in the event deterrence fails.
Credibility is essential, as adversaries judge intent by actions rather than words. The significance of these exercises can be underscored by historical precedents, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the NATO Able Archer exercise.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, heightened alert levels communicated a clear deterrent posture. In contrast, NATO's Able Archer drills in the 1980s demonstrated the delicate balance of signaling strength without escalating tensions, reinforcing the idea that visible readiness can influence perceptions and prevent conflicts.
Exercises like NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024, which mobilized 90,000 troops across Europe, demonstrate resolve. In the Pacific, REFORPAC 2025 and Balikatan signal U.S. commitment to joint readiness against peer threats.
From Counterinsurgency to Competition: The Hard Reset
Two decades of counterinsurgency created a gap in large-scale combat skills, but that gap is closing. The Army is training for Indo-Pacific distances, the Navy for contested seas, the Air Force for expeditionary agility, and the Marines for littoral operations.
Despite challenges with budgets and interoperability, the central transformation is clear: the U.S. military is strategically retraining to prevail in a great-power contest.
Ongoing debates over force structure and new investments—for example, replacing legacy systems with next-generation weapons—underscore not only force modernization but also the urgent need to maintain a credible deterrent aimed directly at peer rivals. The core objective is to reduce the risk of war by ensuring readiness that adversaries respect.
Major Exercises to Watch
- Steadfast Defender 2024 (NATO, Europe): 90,000 troops rehearsed rapid reinforcement against Russian aggression—the largest NATO drill since the Cold War.
- REFORPAC 2025 (Pacific): 12,000 personnel and 400 aircraft stressed distributed basing and air superiority over 3,000 miles.
- Super Garuda Shield 2025 (Indonesia): 6,500 troops from 13 nations practiced joint multi-domain operations with a sharp focus on China.
- Balikatan 2025 (Philippines): U.S. and Filipino forces staged amphibious assaults, island defense drills, and cyber integration to deter aggression in the South China Sea.
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