8th Fighter Wing Demonstrates Combat Readiness and Aircraft Generation in Major Korean Exercise

Exercise Beverly Pack 25-1 saw the U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing (8th FW) at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, conduct its inaugural Agile Combat Employment (ACE) movement on the Korean Peninsula from January 12 to 16, 2025. This exercise focused on the “Wolf Pack’s” capability to deploy Airmen, equipment, and aircraft to a simulated forward operating base (FOB) at Gwangju Air Base, while simultaneously defending the main base at Kunsan against various threats. The core objective was to validate the 8th Fighter Wing Generating Aircraft power and sustaining combat operations from dispersed locations. The 8th FW, known as the “Wolfpack,” oversees the F-16-equipped 80th and 35th Fighter Squadrons.

The Wolf Pack routinely participates in dissimilar combat training throughout the year, often alongside Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) KF-16s. Beverly Pack 25-1, however, marked a significant step forward, demonstrating the 8th FW’s “innovative approach to projecting airpower for the first time on the Korean Peninsula,” according to a Seventh Air Force statement. Another key US Air Force unit in South Korea is the 51st FW at Osan Air Base, which operates A-10 Thunderbolts (scheduled for retirement from Korea this year) and F-16C/D Block 40s with its 25th and 36th Fighter Squadrons.

While 8th FW F-16s have previously operated from Gwangju during exercises like the annual Korea Flying Training, a combined event focused on tactical combat missions, Beverly Pack 25-1 was distinct. It was a full ACE exercise involving the actual dispersal and flying of fighters, along with all necessary support elements, to an austere, dispersed location, rather than just base-level logistics, maintenance, and load crew drills. Official images from the exercise show at least two F-16s from Kunsan operating from Gwangju.

The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) highlighted the exercise’s significance in a social media post:

During Bev Pack 25-1, Airmen executed a historic 1st ACE movement on the Korean Peninsula, deploying to a simulated forward location at Gwangju AB. ✈️ Proving their ability to sustain combat ops in austere conditions, ensuring a resilient #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. @KunsanAirBase pic.twitter.com/Rek00qw1TU

— PACAF (@PACAF) February 7, 2025

First ACE Movement During Bev Pack 25-1

Agile Combat Employment strategy centers on operating from non-traditional air bases and airfields with minimal infrastructure. This dispersal aims to deconcentrate forces from large, vulnerable military installations, which might otherwise be prime targets for conventional land-attack cruise and ballistic missile strikes. By operating from multiple dispersed locations, ACE operations require an adversary to expend a significantly larger number of missiles simultaneously to achieve widespread impact, potentially depleting their stockpiles. Furthermore, ACE allows strike aircraft to hold enemy targets at risk from various points, creating complex targeting dilemmas for the adversary.

The lead-up to Beverly Pack 25-1, which officially kicked off on January 10, 2025, included preparatory activities captured in official imagery and reports. These preparations involved Fighter Generation Squadrons dedicated to preparing F-16s for rapid deployment, Logistics Readiness Squadrons executing cargo deployment procedures, and F-16 aircraft undergoing decontamination drills – a scenario relevant to potential nuclear, biological, or chemical threats, particularly in the context of North Korea. Security forces were also actively involved in defending the base against simulated ground attacks and drone incursions.

Other essential support functions were integrated into the exercise, such as Meals Ready-To-Eat (MRE) inspections. Personnel took stock of inventory, practicing a logistical approach that fits well within the ACE concept, as packaged MREs eliminate the need for complex field kitchens requiring additional personnel and infrastructure. Members of the 8th Operational Readiness Squadron specifically inspected MRE pallets for contaminants following a simulated air attack scenario.

Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 80th Fighter Squadron arrive at Gwangju Air Base, Republic of Korea, to support Agile Combat Employment operations for exercise Beverly Pack 25-1, Jan. 13, 2025.

Bringing All Elements Together for Mission Generation

A press release emphasized that these drills were the culmination of “months” of detailed planning and the integration of smaller-scale components previously practiced by air and ground crews. Lt. Col. Peter “Wolf” Kasarkis, the 8th FW commander, highlighted the significance of this exercise in a statement, noting that while they had conducted “part-task training,” they had not yet “put all the pieces together in one coherent, operationally relevant timeline to discover the gaps and seams as one wing.”

Building on lessons learned from Exercise Beverly Sentinel 25-1 in November 2024, Beverly Pack 25-1 “tested the Wolf Pack’s ability to deploy Airmen, equipment, and aircraft to a simulated forward operating base (FOB) at Gwangju Air Base.” Simultaneously, units remaining at the main operating base at Kunsan were evaluated on their capacity to respond to a variety of hostile threats while providing necessary logistical and operational support to the forward-deployed elements.

During the preceding Exercise Beverly Sentinel 25-1, the 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 8th Force Support Squadron worked closely with the 8th FW leadership to measure the “execution of Cargo and Personnel Deployment Function timelines.” This highlighted the crucial importance of seamless coordination between the Installation Deployment Readiness Center and Unit Deployment Monitors across the entire Fighter Wing, ensuring the ability to effectively facilitate the movement of personnel and equipment necessary for the 8th Fighter Wing Generating Aircraft sorties in a dispersed environment.

80th Fighter Squadron F-16 taking off from Gwangju Air Base during Exercise Beverly Pack 25-1An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 80th Fighter Squadron takes off from Gwangju Air Base, Republic of Korea, in support of ACE during Beverly Pack 25-1, Jan. 14, 2025.

The integrated elements tested in Beverly Pack 25-1 encompassed various unit-specific skills. These included emergency operations procedures, crisis action team coordination, general arming procedures for aircraft, mass casualty response protocols, tactical combat casualty care techniques, and weapons training. However, a primary focus during the ACE exercise at Kunsan and the forward location at Gwangju was ensuring that “all cargo and personnel are processed properly to deploy to their disclosed location,” a critical step in the overall process of the 8th fighter wing generating aircraft power from multiple sites.

Capt. Trevor “KAOS” Hellberg, the 8th FW’s director of exercises, emphasized the necessity of training under “extremely realistic and difficult conditions.” He stressed the importance of the Wolf Pack’s ability to “sustain” combat operations in a “long-term contested environment and deliver consistent, credible airpower to U.S. Forces Korea.” He concluded that “Through actioning complex, realistic ACE training, the Wolf Pack is enhancing its warfighting advantage and its ability to project airpower in the Indo-Pacific’s complex strategic environment.”

Movement for Mission Generation Capabilities

Images released on the DVIDS network documented key aspects of the exercise, including two F-16s arriving at Gwangju Air Base. These aircraft were depicted carrying ordnance, including at least one inert AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) on the right wingtip and an AIM-9X Sidewinder on the outer hardpoint of the left wing. These images underscore the tactical readiness of the deployed aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force also posted about the exercise elements:

💪 Sets n’ Reps

Squadrons at @KunsanAirBase honed unit-specific skills including emergency ops, crisis action team coordination, arming procedures, tactical combat casualty care, & weapons training during Exercise Beverly Sentinel 25-1.

More details here 👇… pic.twitter.com/6XvxChAhWO

— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) November 24, 2024

The PACAF release included quotes from 1st Lt. Charles Burns, who stated they exercised their “dispersal capabilities by taking a small detachment from our main operating base and moving them here for a short period of time to execute contingency [operations].” Supporting images showed Airmen performing tasks such as tightening a wingtip screw on an F-16 and a load crew member unloading an air-to-ground munition. The emphasis throughout these activities was on “mission generation,” which involves the critical ability to rapidly prepare aircraft and weapons systems for combat sorties during sudden military contingencies.

1st Lt. Burns further elaborated on the tactical advantage provided by dispersal:

“Based on intelligence, we would know when enemies will be attacking certain locations, so we could take our forces and move them to different locations to continue to have the capabilities to send combat sorties and continue to disrupt the enemies without ourselves being disrupted.”

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Highlighting the broader scope of the exercise, U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Shelley Schofield, ACE detachment senior enlisted leader, remarked, “We are accomplishing ACE on [one] level, and additionally stress-testing the Mission Generation Force Element concept.” She added, “This has led us into a larger package of mission generation capability – we are able to fix aircraft more in depth based off the things and people we brought with us here,” underlining the comprehensive approach taken by the 8th Fighter Wing generating aircraft power and sustaining operations from forward positions.

Airman 1st Class Quatavious Cash, 35th Fighter Generation Squadron assistant dedicated crew chief, tightens a wing tip screw on the right wing of an F-16 Fighting Falcon during Beverly Pack 25-1 at Gwangju, Republic of Korea, Jan. 14, 2025.

The successful execution of Beverly Pack 25-1 demonstrates the 8th Fighter Wing’s commitment to enhancing its readiness and ability to operate effectively in a complex operational environment. By practicing ACE concepts and focusing on rapid mission generation from dispersed sites, the Wolf Pack is better prepared to deter aggression and respond decisively if called upon, reinforcing the credibility of U.S. airpower in the Indo-Pacific region.