Cope North 2021

Photo By Krisa Cassidy | During Cope North 2021, military personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Army honed their Joint Service wartime capabilities in the Pacific theater through an annual trilateral readiness exercise held at Andersen AFB, Guam. In this photo, Airmen Engineers from the 36 CES conduct the “slash and splash” method of crater repair. This exercise was led by the 554 RHS Silver Flag cadre (USAF photo by 1st Lt John Flory).  

GUAM

06.07.2021

Courtesy Story

Headquarters Air Force, Office of the Director of Civil Engineers

// CE Weekly Submission by John Flory

In Feb 2021, military personnel from across the world traveled to Andersen AFB, Guam, to participate in Cope North, an annual trilateral readiness exercise that puts multinational and Joint Service wartime capabilities into action in the Pacific theater. Members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) partnered with units from the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Army to train and demonstrate combined Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs). As the flying community focused on combat, mobility, and humanitarian mission-sets, engineers from across the Pacific joined forces to demonstrate how they support the warfighting mission in a contingency environment.

After teaming up with the 554 RHS, 36 FSS, and 36 CS, Airmen Engineers from the 36 CES led efforts to operationalize a 12 SSS tent-city to house the Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Response (HADR) Multinational Task Force (MNTF) Headquarters (HQ) in under a week. Their hard work enabled the JASDF-led MNTF HQ team to successfully command and control HADR airlift operations in Angaur, Palau, and the Northwest Field (NWF) Landing Zone (LZ), Guam.

In addition to supporting HADR operations, Airmen Engineers from the 554 RHS and 36 CES postured the NWF LZ for successful Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operations. Kicking off their efforts at the NWF, the 554 RHS installed a Mobile Aircraft Arresting System (MAAS) on the LZ, which anchored the system into the hard coral soil dead-man style. From there, the 36 CES Power Production shop prepared the MAAS to receive an F-16 for a certification engagement. To prepare the LZ to receive 5th generation fighter aircraft, Engineering Assistants (EAs) from the 36 CES set up distance-to-go markers for the Minimum Airfield Operating Surface (MAOS). Together, these efforts fueled a historic achievement in ACE operations, as the NWF LZ became the first-ever austere landing zone to receive a fighter aircraft.

Led by the 554 RHS Silver Flag cadre, the 36 CES and 554 RHS Silver Flag Class 21-02 exercised their airfield recovery skills and successfully repaired a total of 35 craters with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) and Rapid Airfield Damage Repair (RADR). The FRP exercise provided valuable data as PACAF and AFCEC continue to fine tune the CONOPS and TTPs for a tailored version of FRP repairs that aligns with the ACE concept. During this exercise, the 36 CES and Class 21-02 repaired two 10-foot and two 20-foot craters with FRP in both asphalt and concrete. The RADR exercise featured three crater repair teams with members from the 36 CES, Class 21-02, USA, USN, and USMC. RAAF and JASDF engineers also attended as they look to join forces in future exercises. These exercises demonstrate the capability of a Joint Service effort to recover an airfield expediently and get the warfighters back in the fight.

Cope North 2021 offered engineers across the Pacific the opportunity to demonstrate their wartime capabilities in support of flying operations. From supporting HADR airlift operations to enabling flying operations in an austere environment, our engineers play a pivotal role in accelerating change and advancing the warfighting mission.

• Date Taken: 06.07.2021
• Date Posted: 06.07.2021 12:39
• Story ID: 398289
• Location: GU