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U.S. Air Force Airmen receive an overview of the KC-46 Roll-On Beyond Line-of-Sight Enhancement (ROBE) system during Bamboo Eagle 25-1 operations at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Feb. 12, 2025. The ROBE system on the KC-46 provided Command and Control support for Bamboo Eagle 25-1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Makenna Patterson)

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KC-46 Pegasus aircraft assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Squadron, 60th AMW and 22nd Air Refueling Wing participated in Bamboo Eagle 25-1 at Mather Airport in Sacramento, California, Feb. 7-15, 2025. As part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, the 32nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron provides air refueling support to air mobility missions on a global scale. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Malissa Lott)

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U.S. Air Force Capt. Joe Kloc, 50th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, performs pre-flight checks on a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, prior to an air refueling mission at McClellan Airport in Sacramento California, during exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1, Feb. 12, 2025. Bamboo Eagle provides the opportunity to test the coordination between air mobility and combat forces, ensuring sustained fighter operations and rapid power projection in contested environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Monique Stober)

Air Mobility Command enhances collaborative, mobility capabilities in Bamboo Eagle 25-1

Published Feb. 28, 2025
AMC

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --

Air Mobility Command (AMC) partnered with multiple Air Force major commands, U.S. sister services, and allied forces—the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force—during the Air Force Warfare Center’s Exercise Bamboo Eagle 25-1, held Feb. 8-15, 2025.

Bamboo Eagle is designed to refine mission-focused training, ensuring the Air Force remains prepared for complex, large-scale military operations. The exercise also strengthens international collaboration, building upon the long-standing Red Flag exercise series, which regularly includes allied forces from countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom.

“Integrating our capabilities with allies and partners across both operational and tactical levels is essential to mission success,” said Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue, AMC Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration director of operations.

The exercise tested participants’ capabilities to deploy quickly, establish operations, and maneuver the Joint Force and partners in contested environments.

“Bamboo Eagle tested AMC’s capabilities in an incredibly challenging scenario, and our crews, maintenance, and support personnel rose to the challenge,” said Major Max Mallory, Air Mobility Command lead planner for Bamboo Eagle. “It was incredible to witness units work together to get aircraft in the air and the mission completed, and as a result we learned several lessons to prepare the command for the next fight. AMC’s KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-46A Pegasus enabled air operations through aerial refueling, while C-130 Hercules and C-17s Globemaster III provided rapid movement of cargo at speed and scale, honing Agile Combat Employment tactics, techniques and procedures.”

AMC utilized the exercise to develop non-standard skills that are critical to operating in contested environments during conflict. The 7th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron from the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, conducted their first-ever low-altitude C-17 aerial refueling with a KC-46—a milestone that underscores AMC’s commitment to advancing mobility tactics and ensuring reliable joint force maneuverability.

“This exercise offered our Airmen invaluable experience in delivering air refueling support to joint partners within a contested, dynamic environment,” said Major Avery Larkin, 344th Air Refueling Squadron pilot and detachment commander for McConnel Air Force Base Bamboo Eagle contingent. “Throughout the exercise, our goal was to provide reliable, timely air refueling capabilities with both the KC-135 and KC-46, while gaining mission-critical training in a synchronized, high-intensity operation.”

During the exercise, a KC-46 equipped with a roll-on Beyond Line-of-Sight Enhancement system served as a mobile command and control (C2) platform, providing the only contact linkage between specific aircraft and mission control during one of the exercise scenarios. During this iteration, the aircraft was able to provide an airborne C2 connection infrastructure, ensuring maneuverability in meeting mission objectives. This connectivity is essential to the Maneuver Battle Management (MBM) Program.

“A core advantage of the MBM program is that—rather than shelving fleet connectivity by several years and the billions of dollars necessary to modernize MAF aircraft—we are reallocating existing expertise with rapidly deployable equipment,” said Master Sgt. Kyle Bone, AMC Mission System Operator command manager. “This quick reaction combination can fill critical operational connectivity gaps that exist in today's MAF fleet. There is a massive opportunity now to ensure no delay in our forces staying connected and protected, increasing overall lethality and survivability in contested airspace.”

More than 10,000 personnel and over 175 aircraft conducted operations in locations spanning the continental United States and areas in the Pacific.

AMC units will build on the successes of Bamboo Eagle, applying lessons learned to Mobility Guardian in support of Department-level, large-scale global exercises in summer 2025, reinforcing the close cooperation essential to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.