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

The U.S. Army rehearsed a long-range assault across the Pacific Ocean as China’s expanding military capabilities raise the prospect of a future war over Taiwan.

Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division flew hundreds of miles over open water before landing on simulated enemy-held territory in Hawaii. The operation tested capabilities that could prove essential in a war against China, where American forces could face enormous distances, isolated islands and heavily contested supply routes, according to a Monday article from the Army.

Troops from the division’s 2nd Mobile Brigade were transported by the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade before receiving heavy resupply drops from the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, according to the Army.

The 2nd Mobile Brigade provides ground combat troops responsible for seizing and holding territory, while the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade transports soldiers and equipment by helicopter. The 8th Theater Sustainment Command oversees logistical support, including delivering supplies needed to sustain military operations across vast distances, according to the Army.

The assault formed part of a 14-day exercise simulating combat against a near-peer adversary. American soldiers also fought to capture objectives and dislodge simulated enemy forces in Oahu’s Northern Kahuku Training Area, according to the Army.

Although the Army did not explicitly identify China as the simulated enemy, the training reflects challenges American forces could face against Beijing’s rapidly modernizing military.

China has spent years developing the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to seize Taiwan, a self-governing democracy Beijing claims as its territory. Chinese military planners have explored options including amphibious invasion, missile bombardment and maritime blockade, according to a 2025 Department of War report.

China has repeatedly threatened Taiwan with military exercises, including ballistic missile launches near the island. During an August 2022 exercise, Beijing fired 11 ballistic missiles into surrounding waters, with four believed to have flown over Taiwan’s main island, according to Taiwan’s Presidential Office and Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Chinese warplanes have also repeatedly crossed the Taiwan Strait’s unofficial dividing line, conducting military operations around the self-governing island. Beijing’s military conducted 3,067 incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in 2024, up from 1,641 in 2023, per the Pentagon’s 2025 report.