RAAF send large contingent on exercise on Guam

The Royal Australian Air Force has deployed 16 aircraft and more than 450 personnel to participate in Exercise Cope North in Guam.

FILE PHOTO (2018): Personnel from No. 2 Security Forces Squadron, USAF and the Japanese Self Defence Force cross train in security tactics for Exercise Cope North 2018, Andersen Air Force Base Guam. Photo by Corporal Glen McCarthy.

Cope North focuses on interoperability with Australia’s counterparts from the United States and Japan.

Exercise Cope North, held from 18 February to 8 March 2019 at Andersen Air Force Base, is a long-standing joint military exercise to improve combat readiness, humanitarian assistance procedures and cooperation between the defence forces of the United States, Australia and Japan.

Australian Commander for Exercise Cope North 2019 Group Captain Nicholas Hogan said it was an effective way to strengthen military alliances.

“More than 2900 military personnel and approximately 100 aircraft from the RAAF, United States Air Force, United States Navy and Japan Air Self Defense Force will participate,” Group Captain Hogan said.

“The exercise will begin with humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief training, and conclude with air-combat and large-force employment training, to refine our procedures and operate more effectively alongside our military partners in the region.”

Twelve F/A-18A Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, two C-27J Spartans, a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, a combat support element and an aeromedical evacuation team have deployed to the exercise.

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