Exercise COPE NORTH
Overview
Six of the Royal Australian Air Force’s F/A-18F Super Hornets from RAAF Amberley’s No 1 Squadron and an Airborne Early Warning and Control Wedgetail Aircraft from RAAF Williamtown’s No 2 Squadron are participating in world-class air combat and surveillance training in the skies above Guam from 13 – 24 February as part of Exercise COPE NORTH 2012.
This is the first time the Royal Australian Air Force has participated in COPE NORTH, which is a bi‑annual exercise historically for the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) that started in 1978.
Exercise COPE NORTH 2012 aims to enhance joint operational and tactical capability.
Aircrew will be exposed to large force employment on a scale not possible in Australia, when they perform counter air, precision strike and offensive air and surveillance support.
ADF Commitment
Three hundred Royal Australian Air Force personnel will participate in Exercise COPE NORTH 2012. The RAAF is deploying six F/A-18F Super Hornets from Number 1 Squadron located at RAAF Base Amberley with 107 personnel. This includes pilots, weapon system operators, and engineering, maintenance, security and administration personnel.
Number 2 Squadron will be deploying with 56 members that consist of pilots, air combat officers, airborne electronic analysts, and maintenance, administration and intelligence officers.
Exercise COPE NORTH 2012 represents the second overseas deployment for both the Airborne Early Warning and Control Wedgetail and the F/A-18F Super Hornets.
Number 37 Squadron’s C-130 will also participate.