USAF, RAAF, JASDF Conduct Joint Exercise Cope North 2025

The U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force are celebrating the success of the first trilateral warfare capabilities demonstrated in Exercise Cope North 2025 hosted at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

It was the first time a trilateral air force exercise was held involving the three countries and ran from February 3-21, 2025.

Each country played a role in every aspect of the exercise from planning, briefing, executing, and debriefing mission sets. Integration successfully occurred across all elements of the forces including aircrews, maintenance, security forces, logistics, and intelligence.

One of the joint activities that the three air forces accomplished was the successful refueling of 64 jets in the entire program of the exercise. Integration also occurred among the forces as several USAF armament technicians armed F-35s of the RAAF with high-explosives. Another example was the RAAF and JASDF technicians performed post-flight maintenance checks on USAF aircraft.

Lt. Col. David Overstreet, Cope North Lead Planner, said that the joint exercises set a new standard for building completely integrated operations.

He said, “If you don’t work and train together in this environment and you don’t share training, tactics and procedures, when you have to use them in the real world no one will be on the same level.”

Andrew Nilson, RAAF Commanding Officer 75 Squadron Wing Commander said, “From an aircrew perspective, being able to execute and train with contemporary tactics, techniques and procedures with the United States and Japan will hopefully help to build personal relationships so we know we have each other to call on when we need it.”

FMI:  www.af.mil/