When one thinks of major military clashes, fighter jets, large warships, missiles, main battle tanks, and other weapon systems that can dish out punishment to the enemy come to mind. 

However, intelligence-gathering assets can be equally important on the battlefield, allowing commanders to better understand the operational and tactical situation.  

The US military’s Kadena Air Base in Japan is a key intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) hub in the Indo-Pacific theater of operations.  

In a potential conflict with China, the US military and its partners will rely on ISR assets to provide important information domination capabilities in a battlefield that spans thousands of miles.  

Kadena is a true multi-service and multination ISR hub with units from the US Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, as well as Australia and New Zealand.  

One of the units operating from Kadena is the 82nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron.  

“The 82nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron delivers multi-domain situational awareness that is critical to all operational decisions in the Indo-Pacific,” Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Ellsworth, the commanding officer of........

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