THE Cope North 2023 military exercises officially began on Wednesday and will run through Feb. 24, 2023.
About 2,000 military personnel from the U.S. Air Force, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and the Royal Australian Air Force are participating in a field training exercise focused on trilateral airborne integration for large-force combat deployment, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
U.S. Air Force Col. Jared Pasley said, “Logistics in a crisis field exercise is…important. Fuel (supplies), infrastructure, runways, landings, consumables (food, water, generators, etc.) are also a key focus of this exercise.”
He added, “If you look at how difficult it will be to operate at 10 different locations in the Mariana Islands chain — that is a logistics challenge.”
As to the number of personnel participating, Pasley said, “We still have forces trickling in the last time I was tracking participants. I will tell you, sometimes we could do more. I really enjoy — I love engaging local communities, the more interactions we have the better. I watched the downtick of the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, but usually there are [still] opportunities for…a win-win situation and [engaging with] the local communities and local economy…. At the same time we also have to balance that with the environmental concerns. I tell you, frankly, [that] we don’t want to over promise and under deliver.”
Joining Pasley at a public hearing to answer questions from community members in the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting classroom at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport on Tuesday morning were Royal Australian Air Force Cap. Robert Graham, and Japan Self-Defense Force 9th Wing Flight Commander Col. Inadome Satoru.
Graham said their participation this year was significantly reduced “because we have other commitments elsewhere in the world and at home.”
For his part, Satoru said the exercises on Tinian will involve 12 aircraft fighters from Japan: six F-2s and six F-15s.
According to the Commonwealth Ports Authority, during Cope North 2023, military exercises will be conducted on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
Daniel Aquino, special assistant for the Bureau of Military Affairs, poses for a photo with Japan Self-Defense Force 9th Wing Flight Commander Col. Inadome Satoru, U.S. Air Force Col. Jared Pasley, Royal Australian Air Force Capt. Robert Graham and other military and local officials during the Cope North 2023 public hearing at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport on Tuesday.
