Among the aircraft participating in the 81st iteration of Cope North, which concludes Feb. 19, are USAF B-52 bombers and F-16 aggressors, US Navy EA-6B electronic attack aircraft, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s and E-2s. US and Japanese forces have engaged in the annual two-week exercise, which stages out of Andersen AFB, Guam, since 1978. The B-52s are deployed to Andersen from Barksdale AFB, La., as part of a normal strategic presence rotation to the Pacific. The F-16 aggressor force is from Eielson AFB, Alaska. (From Andersen, Feb. 10 photo release, Feb. 11 photo release, and Feb. 15 photo release)
The Air Force plans to conduct more intensive training—and Congress is set to help by boosting funding for exercises and so-called “campaigning” by hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in the Pacific.
