Cope North 09-1

Cope North joint formation flies over Guam

Cope North 09-1

Cope North 09-1

Cope North 09-1

Cope North 09-1

Cope North 09-1

A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base from Feb. 2-13 The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released Download Full Image | E-mail a friend

A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base from Feb. 2-13. The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released Download Full Image | E-mail a friend

A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base from Feb 2-13. Cope North 09-1 is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released Download Full Image | E-mail a friend

A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and a Navy EA-6B Prowler from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam from Feb. 2-13. The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released Download Full Image | E-mail a friend

A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam from Feb. 2-13. Cope North 09-1 is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) (ed: as captioned here, where there are more photos from the exercise. Click the pic for the high-res version.)

The USAF, USN, and elements of the Japanese Self Defense Forces wrapped up Cope North 09-1 last week at Andersen AFB, Guam. Some quick facts about the exercise:

The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. The exercise has been in the planning stages for several months and bears no connection to any real-world events. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordinance.Cope North 09-1 is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan.

JASDF F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, and E-2Cs from the 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base, will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, and Navy EA-6B from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan, will participate in this year's exercise with a focus on interoperability.

I found it interesting that the JASDF is prohibited from using live ordnance while training at home, i.e., in Japan. I'm also tempted to make some snarky comments about how certain elements in American society wouldn't mind the same sorts of restrictions being placed on our military... but I won't. Much more on Cope North 09-1 here... with more photos and video, too.

Apropos of nothing... I spent about a year on Guam during one week back in 1976. I hear Andersen is a good assignment for folks serving accompanied tours... which is to say with the family. I was single during my one-week TDY to Guam and the social options were rather limited, the weather was HOT, and the humidity was unbearable. It didn't help that I spent most of my working hours engaged in hard physical labor inside the radome of an AN/FPS-60 series radar... where the environmental conditions were abysmal... to say the VERY least. A very nasty experience, overall.