RAAF ‘combat ready’ at Cope North
Exercise Cope North 24 kicked off at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, with Royal Australian Air Force elements prepared to deploy to ‘hub and spoke’ airfields across the Mariana Islands.
CAPTION: RAAF aviators unload a C-27J Spartan at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in readiness for Exercise Cope North 24. Story by Flight Lieutenant Claire Campbell. Photos by Leading Aircraftman Kurt Lewis.
Cope North aims to enhance interoperability and airborne multilateral integration with Australia’s regional allies including the United States, Japan, France, Republic of Korea and Canada.
With a focus on agile operations, RAAF Task Group Commander Group Captain Kylie Green said remote airfields would be used to demonstrate the coalition’s air power capability and combat readiness.
“The scenarios have been designed to allow our aviators to exercise agile operational concepts that enhance force projection, resilience and survivability of our allied air combat forces,” Group Captain Green said.
“We will also have aviators embedded within a multinational task force headquarters to plan and execute an air campaign, with the agile projection of air power from non-traditional airfields across the Mariana Islands.”
CAPTION: RAAF and US Air Force personnel depart Andersen Air Force Base on a USAF C130-J aircraft as part of a contingency response squadron to North Field, Tinian, Mariana Islands.
RAAF elements deployed on Cope North include a C-27J Spartan and a contingency response squadron to establish scalable, expeditionary air base operations in short periods of time, enabling flexibility in deployed locations.
“Cope North 24 will provide training opportunities and invaluable experience for our people in a challenging scenario,” Group Captain Green said.
“We are looking forward to working with our friends from the United States and Japan again, as well as Canada, France and the Republic of Korea.”
CAPTION: An RAAF C-27J Spartan from 35 Squadron taxis past Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15MJ Eagles and F-2s at Andersen Air Force Base.
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