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More than 6,400 service members, 100 aircraft, and 7 U.S. and Canadian vessels began participation in exercise Northern Edge 2025, a joint field-training exercise at various locations in-and-around Alaska, on Aug. 17.
NE25 is a Large Scale Global Exercise, led by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, that serves as a platform for joint, multi-domain operations to deliver high-end, realistic warfighter training, strengthen joint interoperability, and sharpen the air and sea-based combat readiness of U.S. and participating forces.
“Northern Edge 2025 brings together multi-domain capabilities in high-end warfighting to ensure readiness to deter and, if necessary, defeat any adversary.” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Rick Goodman, the NE25 exercise director. “Additionally, NE25 allows the joint force to work through posture and sustainment, specifically here in Alaska.”
Beyond tactical execution, Northern Edge aims at larger operational priorities.
“One of the key objectives of [the exercise] is the cross-combatant command coordination between INDOPACOM and NORTHCOM,” Goodman added. “This highlights the criticality of Alaska as a key strategic geographic location important to homeland defense, as well as power projection should we find ourselves in a conflict in the Indo-Pacific.”
Participants represent all U.S. services in multiple domains, to include cyber operations with the U.S. Army. Additionally, the Royal Canadian Navy and Air Force will be fully integrated with U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force mission sets. RCAF and RCN assets include the Airbus CC-150 Polaris refueler and Halifax-class frigate HCMS Regina (FFH 334).
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) will participate in the exercise along with other elements of Carrier Strike Group 3, including Destroyer Squadron 21, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG 77), USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), and the nine squadrons of 4th and 5th generation aircraft of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9.
“The mission of U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Groups is to deliver sea control and power projection wherever the nation needs us,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Todd Whalen, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3. “The Sailors and Marines of Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group are excited to serve alongside our joint force counterparts to demonstrate our commitment to the region and our combined lethality.”
This year Northern Edge coincides with exercise Arctic Edge 2025, a North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command annual exercise. For the first time, the two exercises will occur concurrently with activities stretching across the Alaska Theater of Operations including the Aleutians, all the way to Adak Island.
“Arctic Edge is focusing on the homeland defense here in Alaska, and Northern Edge is going to add on a very specific layer of power projection and that high-end war fighting capability,” Goodman added.
According to Goodman, by executing operations simultaneously, both commands are able to enhance cross-combatant command coordination, integrate missions and demonstrate the ability to position and sustain operations around the theater.
In other words, conducting the exercises at the same time allows the U.S. and our allies to practice establishing and sustaining a fight in Alaska, from and through Alaska.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2025 20:15 |
| Story ID: | 545812 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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