For the first time, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the United States Air Force (USAF), and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) have conducted a joint exercise to enhance fifth-generation air warfare capabilities.
The trilateral training, which took place during Exercise Cope North 25, focused on improving whole-of-force integration in complex and realistic combat scenarios.
The three nations played active roles in all aspects of the exercise, including mission planning, execution, and debriefing. Integration extended across various operational areas, involving aircrews, maintenance teams, security forces, logistics, and intelligence units. The training also featured multiple visits and tours of each country’s refueling and command-and-control aircraft to strengthen cross-force coordination.
According to Cope North Lead Planner Lieutenant Colonel David Overstreet, the exercise established a benchmark for fully integrated joint 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. “We are all trying to be great, and the only way to do that is to practice how you would fight – and that’s together.”
With interoperability as a priority, RAAF’s 75 Squadron worked closely with USAF and JASDF personnel on F-35A Lightning II operations. One of the key integrations involved USAF armament technicians assisting in arming Australian F-35s with high-explosive ordnance. Additionally, Australian and Japanese aircraft technicians collaborated on post-flight maintenance checks for USAF aircraft, further enhancing the combined operational effectiveness of the three forces.
Commanding Officer of RAAF 75 Squadron, Wing Commander Andrew Nilson, underscored the importance of this level of integration.
“We wouldn’t get the same depth of knowledge and learning if we did an exercise like Cope North disjointed or disconnected,” Nilson said. “Being able to be in the same place, working together, is incredibly important.”
He emphasized that executing joint tactics and training with the United States and Japan would help build personal and professional relationships, ensuring that all three nations can rely on one another when needed.