The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), US Air Force (USAF), and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) have celebrated the success of trilateral warfare capabilities as Exercise Cope North 2025 came to an end.
Exercise Cope North, which ran from February 3-21, 2025 at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, became the venue in which the three countries jointly participated in trilateral air force exercises for the first time.
Cope North Conversations 🔉⭐
In Guam, senior leaders from the #AusAirForce, @usairforce & @USMC, & @JASDF_PAO_ENG met to discuss the success of Exercise Cope North 25 so far & ways to foster the trilateral relationship between the three countries in the future. 🇦🇺 🇺🇸 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/VrpBsWR4EE
— Royal Australian Air Force (@AusAirForce) February 26, 2025
According to the RAAF, each country played a role in every aspect of the exercise planning, briefing, executing and debriefing mission sets. Integration occurred across all cells, including aircrew, maintenance, security forces, logistics and intelligence cells.
One of the joint activities that the three Air Forces undertook was the successful refueling of 64 jets in the entire program of Exercise Cope North 2025.
Precision logistics meets tactical execution—all in perfect sync.🔥
Watch a KC-135 refuel an F-16 midair during #CopeNorth25, where U.S., @JASDF_PAO_ENG & @AusAirForce forces train to sustain lethal, combat-ready airpower in the #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. ✈️
#AerialRefueling pic.twitter.com/5vJ3Kl2zAi
— PACAF (@PACAF) February 20, 2025
There was also integration among Armed Forces as a number of USAF armament technicians armed RAAF F-35s with high explosives. Meanwhile, RAAF and JASDF aircraft technicians performed post-flight maintenance checks on USAF aircraft.
Cope North Lead Planner Lieutenant Colonel David Overstreet said that the joint exercises set the standard for building fully integrated operations.
““If you don’t work and train together in this environment and you don’t share training, tactics and procedures, when you have to use them in the real world no one will be on the same level,” Overstreet said in a statement.
RAAF Commanding Officer 75 Squadron Wing Commander Andrew Nilson said : “From an aircrew perspective, being able to execute and train with contemporary tactics, techniques and procedures with the United States and Japan will hopefully help to build personal relationships so we know we have each other to call on when we need it.”
