Over 130 Aircraft in Exercise Cope North 2022

Exercise Cope North 2022 (CN22), a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR), large force employment, and aerial combat training exercise from 2 to 18 February 2022, will feature approximately 130 aircraft from over 30 units, generating more than 2,000 sorties across seven islands and 10 airfields.

The Cope North series of exercises are the US Pacific Air Forces’ largest multilateral exercise held between the United States Air Force (USAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF). “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,” said RAAF Task Unit Commander, Group Captain Andrew McHugh.

CN22 will commence with a HA/DR training event to train the participating forces in their combined ability to support the Indo-Pacific region during a natural disaster. Fighter aircraft from participating air forces will also conduct aerial refueling, close air support, and counter-air missions. The training missions will culminate with a large force employment exercise designed to enhance readiness and interoperability among the three partner nations.

The exercises will feature more than 2,500 US airmen, Marines, and sailors and 1,000 combined JASDF and RAAF personnel. The RAAF will deploy E-7A Wedgetail, C-27J Spartan, KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport and F-35A Lightning II fighters and personnel to Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands for the exercises. An RAAF contingency response squadron focused on HA/DR training will also participate in the exercises.

Aircraft participating in the exercises will operate from Andersen Air Force Base and Northwest Field on Guam; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including Rota, Saipan, and Tinian; Palau; and the Federated States of Micronesia.

16 officers from eight other nations will participate in the exercises under the International Observers Programme, where they will have an opportunity to observe key parts of the exercise. France and India are both participating in CN22. India is taking part in the exercises for the first time ever, previously having sent observers instead.

Cope North was first established in 1978 as a quarterly bilateral exercise held at Misawa Air Base, Japan. Cope North moved to Andersen AFB in 1999.