Security Forces from Japan, Australia and the United States shared their tactics, training and procedures and determined how to best integrate their capabilities as a joint team during Exercise Cope North.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) Security Forces (SECFOR) conducted combined training at the Commando Warrior training facility, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
The seven-day training activity was part of a Commander Pacific Air Forces subject matter expert exchange and culminated in a field training exercise where multi-national teams worked together to defend an air base.
No. 1 SECFOR Defensive Operations Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Flight Sergeant (FSGT) Scott Robertson said the training involved sharing weapons systems, military working dog security and urban and jungle warfare tactics.
"It was a good opportunity to test the interoperability of our capabilities," FSGT Robertson said.
"We learnt three nation's weapon systems, including the effects and how the weapons systems are used in the battlespace.
"We overcame language barriers in weapons drills by using hand signals and clear body language.
"Each nation's SECFOR teams provided their subject matter knowledge on how they provide security.
"The lessons learnt from previous exercises between the RAAF Aircraft Security Operations team and the USAF Raven team were also shared with the JASDF.
"It is important to understand how our capabilities work together prior to a real-world scenario. Exercises such as Cope North help us to build strong relationships.
"We become comfortable with how each other operates and build confidence in our abilities to seamlessly integrate as a joint task force."
