A Japan Air Self Defense Force aircraft maintainer inspects an E2-C aircraft Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. JASDF F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs from the 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, and Navy EA-6B from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan will participate in this year's exercise with a focus on interoperability.
(top) Sgt. Masatsugo Yamaguchi and Sgt. Kohichi Swirakata both Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintainers place intake covers on an E2-C Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan along with Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs fighter airborne control aircraft will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron will participate in this year's Cope North exercise Feb. 2-13. This is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Japanese Air Self Defense Force Airman 1st Class Shunsaku Suzuki, inpects the prop of an E2-C aircraft Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. The exercise has been in the planning stages for several months and bears no connection to any real-world events. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
(center) U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Bowman coordinates fuel off loads with E2-C Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintainers Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1. Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan along with Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs fighter airborne control aircraft will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron to participate in this year's Cope North exercise Feb. 2-13. Sergeant Bowman is a fuels specialist, 36th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Andersen A.F.B. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Sgt. Masatsugo Yamaguchi, aircraft maintainer, Japan Air Self Defense Force inspects an E2-C aircraft Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. Units from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and the Japan Air Self Defense Force will participate in exercise Cope North 09-1 at Andersen from 2-13 Feb. The exercise is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Japanese E-2C maintainers, 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base Japan recover an E-2C Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan along with Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs fighter airborne control aircraft will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron will participate in this year's Cope North exercise Feb. 2-13, with a focus on interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
(foreground) Japan Air Self Defense Force Pilot, Maj. Hideki Mori and fellow JASDF pilots look over flight line operations Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1. Units from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and Japan Air Self Defense Force will participate in exercise Cope North 09-1 at Andersen from 2-13 Feb. The exercise is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Master Sgt. Yuichi Kudoh, aircraft maintainer, Japan Air Self Defense Force inspects an E2-C aircraft Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. JASDF F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs from the 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, and Navy EA-6B from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan will participate in this year's exercise with a focus on interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintainers, 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base Japan recover an E-2C Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1 after a local area mission. Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan along with Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs fighter airborne control aircraft will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron will participate in this year's Cope North exercise Feb. 2-13, with a focus on interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintainers, 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base Japan tow an E-2C aircraft Feb. 5 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam during Cope North 09-1. Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan along with Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base and E-2Cs fighter airborne control aircraft joined forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron for Cope North exercise Feb. 2-13. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released