The Royal Australian Air Force has deployed a joint force of combat, transport, and command and control aircraft to Anderson AFB on Guam to participate in Exercise Cope North 2022.
Described as a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), large force employment, and aerial combat training exercise, Cope North runs from February 2 to 18. It is the US Pacific Air Forces’ (PACAF) largest multi-national exercise and, apart from Australia, the 2022 iteration also includes participants from Japan.
The RAAF contingent includes six F-35A Lightning IIs from 77 Squadron, an E-7A Wedgetail from 2SQN, a KC-30A MRTT from 33SQN, a C-17A from 36SQN, and two C-27J Spartans from 35SQN. The Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) has deployed a U-125 search and rescue aircraft, an E-767 AEW&C, F-15C/DJ Eagle fighters, and SH-60J Seahawk helicopters.
US participants include a KC-46A Pegasus, an E-3G AWACS, a KC-135R Stratotanker, F-15C/D Eagles, F/A-18C/D Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, F-16C/D Falcons, and F-35As. In total, more than 3,500 personnel including 1,000 ADF and JSDF participants are taking part. Eight other countries – including France, India, and South Korea – have sent 16 officers as part of the exercise’s international observers’ program.
The exercise takes place from Andersen AFB and Northwest Field on Guam, and covers areas of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including Rota, Saipan, and Tinian, as well as neighbouring Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia. About 130 aircraft from more than 30 operating units will fly in the exercise, and more than 2,000 sorties are planned across 10 airfields on seven islands.
A USAF release says the air combat aircraft will conduct aerial refueling, close air support, and counter-air missions, and these will conclude with a large force employment exercise designed to enhance readiness and interoperability among the three countries. Participants will also exercise Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concepts, PACAF’s model to project combat power via a network of distributed operating locations throughout the Indo-Pacific.
In an ADF release, RAAF Task Group Commander GPCAPT Andrew McHugh said trilateral engagement and strengthening regional partnerships would be a significant focus throughout the exercise. “Exercise Cope North is focused on interoperability with our partner nations through combined tactics, techniques and procedures for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and the mass combat and air mobility missions,” he said.
“Working alongside the United States Air Force and the Koku-Jieitai in a realistic training scenario across complex island terrain will further enhance our capabilities to ensure we are able to provide timely and effective responses when called upon in real-time situations,” he added. “By bringing together the trilateral forces, we are able to strengthen our capabilities as a larger combined force, which is essential for an open, prosperous, inclusive and secure Indo-Pacific.”
“Cope North 2022 will enhance the tri-lateral forces’ capability for HADR in the Indo-Pacific, ensuring a highly effective and professional response, when needed. We are committed to developing an intelligent and skilled workforce with exercises such as Cope North providing the opportunity to operate as a combined force with the United States and Japan, and ensure our people can deliver air power when required.”
As has become a tradition for Cope North exercises, aircraft and personnel were lined up on the Anderson AFBR ramp for a group photograph (title pic), while many of the participants in the HADR portion of the exercise conducted an multi-aircraft ‘elephant walk’ (below) along one of Anderson’s two parallel runways.