Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S., Japan and Australian forces kick off COPE NORTH 2020US, Japan and Australian forces kick off COPE NORTH 2020
                        
                        
                        Members of the U.S. military, Royal Australian Air Force, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force stand in formation to start exercise Cope North 2020, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 12, 2020. Cope North 2020 is an annual trilateral field training exercise conducted at Andersen AFB, and around the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Gracie Lee)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S., Japan and Australian forces kick off COPE NORTH 2020US, Japan and Australian forces kick off Cope North 2020
                        
                        
                        A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan, arrives prior to the start of Exercise COPE NORTH 20 (CN20) at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 10, 2020. CN20 is a Pacific Air Forces sponsored multilateral field training exercise involving the United States, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the RAAF. (Royal Australian Air Force photo by CPL David Said)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S., Japan and Australian forces kick off COPE NORTH 2020US, Japan and Australian forces kick off Cope North 2020
                        
                        
                        A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan, arrives prior to the start of Exercise COPE NORTH 20 (CN20) at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 10, 2020. CN20 is a Pacific Air Forces sponsored multilateral field training exercise involving the United States, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the RAAF. (Royal Australian Air Force photo by CPL David Said)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S., Japan and Australian forces kick off COPE NORTH 2020US, Japan and Australian forces kick off Cope North 2020
                        
                        
                        A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 77 Squadron F/A-18 Hornet arrives prior to the start of Exercise COPE NORTH 20 (CN20) at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 10, 2020. CN20 is a Pacific Air Forces sponsored multilateral field training exercise involving the United States, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the RAAF. (Royal Australian Air Force photo by CPL David Said)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Joint forces kick off Cope North 2020Published Feb. 13, 2020
                    
                    By  Staff Sgt. Greg Nash
                    
                    
                    Cope North Combined Joint Information Bureau
            **ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFNS) --**More than 100 aircraft will soar over the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia as U.S. forces, Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) collaborates during exercise Cope North, Feb. 12-28.
Approximately 2,000 military personnel will hone their skills to increase combat readiness and interoperability during the annual trilateral field training exercise. Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises and strike mission training will be conducted during the first week, while air combat tactics and a large-force employment training takes place the second week.
“This exercise is a model opportunity for our countries to participate in world-class training and expand engagements to strengthen our interoperability,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Scott Rowe, Cope North exercise director. “It validates new ways to deploy and maneuver people and assets, which ultimately enhances our capacity and capability to foster a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Teams will face various challenges during the 17-day event by focusing on integrating and refining best practices for coordinating combined air tactics, techniques and procedures.
Part of the HADR training scenario is a medical evacuation from Rota to Guam featuring aeromedical evacuation doctors and crews. All three nations will work together during the crisis response scenario to provide airborne command and control, combat jumps, joint terminal attack controllers, and bilateral training with the military working dogs and security forces.
“Training programs such as exercise Cope North provides invaluable opportunities to test operational air and ground crews to the highest level,” said RAAF Group Captain Mark Larter, Multinational Task Force commander. “For the first time, U.S. Pacific Air Forces has invited the Royal Australian Air Force to lead the HADR mission to demonstrate combat readiness, humanitarian assistance procedures and interoperability between the forces of the United States, Australia and Japan.”
Cope North — originally a quarterly exercise between the U.S. and Japanese air forces in Misawa, Japan — was moved to Guam in 1999. RAAF joined in 2011 to strengthen the trilateral relationships and further integrate HADR operations and a large-force employment exercise. The now-annual exercise is designed to promote stability and security throughout the Indo-Pacific and continues to evolve throughout the years.
“I had participated in Cope North as a young pilot about 17 years ago,” said Koku Jieitai Col. Katsushi Hashimoto. “I am pleasantly surprised to see how much this exercise has evolved over time. It literally shows the evolution of our already strong relationship among U.S., Australia and Japan.”
This year marks the first time the Japan Maritime Defense Force is bringing a US-2 ShinMaywa amphibious aircraft to incorporate personnel recovery missions.
“I am very confident this exercise will further enhance our combat capability and strengthen our alliance more than ever before,” Hashimoto said.LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



combat readiness 



interoperability 



Andersen Air Force Base 



Andersen AFB 



Cope North Combined Joint Information Bureau 



Royal Australian air force 



RAAF 



EXERCISE COPE NORTH 



Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief 



HADF 



Japan Air Self-Defense Force Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil