Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing, including the Vermont Air National Guard’s 134th Fighter Squadron, played a crucial role in the recent Exercise Cope North 2025, where F-35 aircraft from Japan, the United States, and Australia participated in trilateral training for the first time. This exercise marked a milestone in multinational airpower cooperation and focused on enhancing joint capabilities and interoperability.
More than 130 Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing, who had been deployed to Kadena Air Base in Japan, forward-deployed to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to participate in Cope North 2025. The exercise, which first began in 1978 as a bilateral event between the US and Japan, has now evolved into a multinational exercise aimed at strengthening joint readiness and enhancing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities among US, Japanese, and Australian forces.
Exercise Cope North 25 was the first activity under a trilateral memorandum of intent for air cooperation signed in 2024 between the US Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and the Royal Australian Air Force. The exercise focused on conducting joint operations with fifth-generation air warfare capabilities and improving whole-of-force integration.
The exercise provided a platform for pilots from the three nations to refine tactics, improve combined airpower capabilities, and develop strategies to counter emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific region. It also emphasized interoperability and Agile Combat Employment, where Airmen performed tasks outside their primary specialty to enhance flexibility.
Overall, Cope North 2025 was a success in strengthening regional security and deterring conflict by emphasizing shared expertise on fifth-generation fighter operations. The exercise highlighted the importance of communication, coordination, and integrated command structures between partner nations in achieving mission success.
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