Emerald Warrior tested Air Force’s Commandos for a potential conflict with China

Airpower, Special Operations

By Stavros Atlamazoglou

August 20, 2025

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Over the past few weeks, Air Commandos from across the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) got together to fight a simulated war against China.

Exercise Emerald Warrior 25.2 concluded in August, testing the capabilities of America’s Air Commandos and their readiness to contribute in a potential near-peer clash with China in the Indo-Pacific.

During the exercise, AFSOC tested and validated its Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) and Special Operations Task Unit (SOTU). SOTG act as the nerve center for Air Commando operations, planning, and directing the organization of the SOTUs, which conduct the operations.

“Emerald Warrior is a key benchmark in AFSOC’s continuous training schedule, providing the venue for realistic, advanced training scenarios that validate the capabilities of special operations forces,” AFSOC stated about the special operations drill.

AFSOC commands a host of different units, including Combat Controllers, Pararescuemen, and Special Reconnaissance operators. Moreover, AFSOC employs a wide range of aircraft, such as the MC-130J Commando II transport, AC-130 Ghostrider gunship, and V-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport.

A taste of ACE

Air Commando SCUBA dive Emerald Warrior 25.2 — A U.S. Air Force Air Commando assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command dons their mask before conducting a SCUBA dive during Emerald Warrior 25.2, California, August 4, 2025. Joint, combined trainings like Emerald Warrior enhance AFSOC’s combat readiness and demonstrates our ability to seamlessly operate together. Supported by U.S. Special Operations Command, Emerald Warrior is a joint, combined special operations exercise that prepares U.S. Special Operations Command forces, Conventional Enablers, Partner Forces, and Interagency Elements to respond to various threats across the spectrum of conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luke Hirsch)

During Emerald Warriors, AFSOC Commandos also practice Agile Combat Employment. The concept of Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, seeks to generate airpower in contested and unfamiliar environments.

“ACE has become an operational requirement to be a mission-ready force,” Air Force Col. Mark Hamilton, the deputy commander of operations of the 1st Special Operations Wing, said.

China possesses potent long-range fires capabilities; and the U.S. military does not want to relive a Pearl Harbor situation, when the majority of its forces were taken out in a single strike. Thus, the ACE concept seeks to prepare the military to disperse its forces and fight back from almost anywhere, including highways, remote islands, and even jungles. AFSOC would play an important role in sustained ACE operations in the Indo-Pacific, delivering fuel and ammunition to special operators and forward-deployed fighter jets.

“As we meet the Department of Air Force’s demand to reoptimize for global competition, our Air Commandos must be not only technically proficient but also tactically adaptable. Emerald Warrior provides a challenging and realistic environment to stress-test our ACE capabilities,” Hamilton added.

During Emerald Warrior 25.2, AFSOC deployed several MC-130J Commando II transport aircraft across the simulated battlefield to provide infiltration and resupply capabilities. Moreover, C-146 Wolfhound transport aircraft reached remote locations due to their ability to land almost anywhere. In addition, U-28A Draco surveillance aircraft provided key intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support to the overall force.

The challenge from the East

China, once a sleeping power, is increasingly aggressive in the Indo-Pacific, seeking to assert its power through political, diplomatic, economic, cyber, intelligence, and military means.

Following the gradual end of the counterterrorism operations in the Middle East, the U.S. military has once more turned its focus on near-peer competition. Despite Russia’s attempts to redraw European borders at the cost of millions, China remains the foremost near-peer competitor of the United States.

Although a potential non-nuclear conflict with China over Taiwan or the sovereignty of the South China Sea would primarily focus on conventional air and naval operations, special operations forces would have the opportunity to play an important role, either by gathering important intelligence to facilitate more effective kill chains, by taking out high-value targets in direct action raids, or by supporting conventional operations.

Feature Image: U.S. Air Force Air Commandos assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command load an all-terrain vehicle onto a U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II in California during Emerald Warrior 25.2, July 25, 2025. By training to operate in contested environments, Air Commandos are able to think outside the box, experiment capabilities to find methods of accomplishing the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Hansford)