With their Mobility Guardian 2023 exercise, the United States and its allies have embarked, since July 5, on the largest air mobility exercise in history. The objective of the exercise is to develop operational projection capabilities in the Pacific region.
Seven Participating States project their forces in Asia Pacific
Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023 (MG23) is the fourth edition of the main exercise of the United States Air Force (USAF or US Air Force) intended to prepare its transport and aerial refueling fleets. This year the United States will be accompanied by its allies of the “Five Eyes” coalition (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom), as well as France and Japan in the implementation of the largest exercise of air mobility in history.
Mobility Guardian 2023 also innovates through its geographical location by projecting American forces into the Pacific region, where in previous years it was limited to American territory. Lieutenant-Colonel Jake Parker, the exercise planner, said, “This is a completely different region with a completely different objective. It really changes the way we think about our tactics, our techniques and our procedures.” The exercise is also a message to China about the ability of the United States and its allies to cooperate in large-scale projection operations in the Pacific region.
