Editor’s Note: Although Exercise COPE NORTH 2016 just concluded, this will give you an idea of the DLOs (designated learning objectives) for the nations participating, as well as the large scope. Andersen Air Force Base on the Island of Guam was the host facility for the PACific Air Forces (PACAF) Large Force Employment exercise, giving partner nations the chance to test the interoperability between their forces. As you’ll see in the video, courtesy of our friends at the Royal Australian Air Force, it was a great success.
The U.S. and five ally and partner nations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region are scheduled to participate in exercise Cope North 2016 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 10 through 26.
Exercise CN16 is a long-standing exercise designed to enhance multilateral air operations between the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force. As part of CN16, additional participants from the Philippines Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force will participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training.
More than 930 U.S. Airmen and Sailors will train alongside approximately 490 JASDF, 375 RAAF, 5 PAF, 20 ROKAF and 35 RNZAF service members. Additionally, more than 100 aircraft, comprised of 23 flying units from the U.S. and Indo-Asia-Pacific region, will participate in CN16.
The exercise will begin with a two-day table-top Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief exercise to enhance command and control prior to the week-long HA/DR training. This will be the first time a table-top HA/DR exercise has been completed prior to executing the training. During the second part of the exercise, the focus will shift to large-force employment training, fighter-versus-fighter air combat tactics training, and air-to-ground strike mission training over the Farallon de Medinilla range 160 nautical miles north of Guam. The U.S. Air Force’s 353rd Combat Training Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, will participate in the exercise and conduct multilateral survival training for the first time this year.
The original article can be viewed in its entirety here.
(Featured photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson)