The conflict over Taiwan and beyond: Can the U.S. prevent another Pearl Harbor in the Pacific region?

What would happen if China initiated military actions in the Indo-Pacific region as part of a plan to seize Taiwan? What measures can the U.S. Air Force take to ensure their bases and aircraft do not fall victim to Chinese missiles and kamikaze drones? Two combat concepts will assist them: Agile Combat Employment (ACE) and Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP).

ACE and FARP

ACE and FARP are two essential concepts for the Air Force. Under ACE, several aircraft and small support personnel teams are rapidly deployed to expeditionary bases to conduct operations.

During the recent Beverly Pack 25-1 exercises, pilots from the 8th Fighter Wing tested their ACE capabilities by quickly deploying to a simulated expeditionary base in Kwangju, South Korea.

"We are practicing our dispersal capabilities by taking a small team from our main operating base and moving it here for a short period to carry out unforeseen [operations]," said U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Charles Burns, the ACE team lead for the 8th Fighter Wing, in a press release.

The 8th Fighter Wing operates F-16C/D Fighting Falcon aircraft and is stationed in South Korea. In the event of a conflict with China or North Korea, this unit would find itself on the front lines.

"Based on intelligence data, we can determine when adversaries are preparing to attack specific locations, allowing us to gather our forces and relocate to conduct combat sorties while continuing to disrupt enemy attacks without risking ourselves," Burns added.

Testing in Action

The Air Force is testing the ACE concept on several platforms, including the stealth F-22 Raptor, A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft, and the stealth F-35 Lightning II.

"We are executing ACE at [one] level and additionally conducting stress tests of the Mission Generation Force Element concept," stated U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Shelley Schofield, the senior sergeant of the ACE team. "This has expanded our mission planning capabilities—we will be able to thoroughly prepare aircraft with the personnel and equipment brought along."

The FARP concept is closely linked to ACE and enables aircraft to quickly rearm and refuel in expeditionary conditions. In practice, the ACE and FARP concepts mean that the Air Force can disperse its forces and prevent a new "Pearl Harbor" scenario.

For instance, if a confrontation with China occurs in the Indo-Pacific region over Taiwan, the Chinese military would likely begin hostilities by launching long-range strikes against U.S. air and naval bases in the area. The goal would be to suppress the U.S. military response and allow Chinese amphibious forces to land and capture Taiwan. It would be significantly more challenging (or even impossible) for the Chinese military to target American air and naval assets if they can disperse before the first strike. In such a scenario, the value of ACE and FARP becomes quite evident.

About the Author

Stavros Atlamazoglou is an experienced journalist covering defense topics with a specialization in special operations, as well as a veteran of the Greek army (having served in the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters). He holds a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been published in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.