F-35A Squadrons Sharpen Skills in Joint Exercise

Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base deployed to NAS North Island with F-35A Lightning II aircraft for Bamboo Eagle 25-1, a U.S. Air Force Warfare Center exercise aimed at improving agility, combat readiness, and joint training effectiveness. The 421st Fighter Squadron transitioned from Red Flag 25-1 at Nellis AFB to participate, leveraging the F-35A’s advanced capabilities alongside allied forces. Bamboo Eagle stretches force elements and command-and-control structures across several “hub and spoke” locations across the Western United States. NASNI is serving as a “spoke” where Airmen will practice providing sorties with a small, flexible, movable team.

As part of the exercise, Airmen will focus on executing sorties with small, adaptable teams, enhancing their ability to operate in dynamic environments and strengthening interoperability with allied forces, including the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force.

“We’re trying to get somewhere between standard training and combat experience,” said Lt. Col. Bryan Mussler 421st FS commander. “Our day-to-day training at home station is very low risk compared to the actual fight. Bamboo Eagle helps us bridge that gap to combat, so when that night comes, we are confident with what we’re being tasked to do.”

For the F-35A pilots during Bamboo Eagle, much of that mission is offensive and defensive counter-air, escorting other assets and hunting down the enemy surface-to-air threats. That’s the F-35's “bread and butter” mission, Mussler said.

In addition to the combat scenarios, the exercise is improving the squadron’s airmanship – piloting a single-engine fighter over the Eastern Pacific Ocean for great amounts of time and distance, meeting up with multiple tankers, navigating unfamiliar airspace and landing on different airfields.