U.S. Air Force pilots, Marines, and sailors alongside their counterparts from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force have been conducting military training on Tinian’s North and West Fields.
According to Lt. Ryan Simpson of the Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs, the military training is in support of Cope North 22, which has been taking place since Feb. 3 and will continue until Feb. 18 on Tinian’s North and West Fields.
Cope North is a multilateral U.S. Pacific Air Forces-sponsored field training exercise conducted annually at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.
The PAF Public Affairs stated that more than 2,500 U.S. airmen, Marines, and sailors have been training with about 1,000 combined JASDF and RAAF counterparts, and approximately 130 aircraft from over 30 units were to fly during the exercise.
Fighter aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, JASDF and RAAF are conducting aerial refueling, close air support, and counter-air missions. These training missions will conclude with a large force employment exercise designed to enhance readiness and interoperability among the three countries, the PAF Public Affairs said.
“Participants will also exercise Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, concepts during Cope North 22. ACE is Pacific Air Forces’ model to project combat power via a network of distributed operating locations throughout the Indo-Pacific. Over 2,000 sorties are planned for Cope North 22 across seven islands and 10 airfields.”
Aircraft of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and regional allies conduct a flyover during Cope North 2022 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 7, 2022. Cope North is the Pacific Air Forces largest multilateral exercise.
