US Army Practices Island Warfare As China’s Shadow Looms Large Over Pacific

The US Army rehearsed a long-range assault across the Pacific, practising how troops might reach and seize territory on isolated islands. The exercise reflects the distance, contested supply routes and military capabilities that could shape a future conflict in the region, including a potential war over Taiwan.

During a 14-day exercise in Hawaii, soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division flew hundreds of miles over open water, received heavy supply drops and fought to capture objectives in Oahu’s Northern Kahuku Training Area. The Army did not name China as the simulated adversary. A 2025 US defence report said China was building the capability to fight over Taiwan by the end of 2027, but US intelligence assessed that Beijing had no fixed invasion timeline.