Blastoff

Photo by SSgt. Samuel Morse

An F-16 Fighting Falcon piloted by Capt. Cory Farrer takes off before dawn on 3 February 2010, the final day of an operational readiness exercise at Misawa AB, Japan. The jet’s afterburner kicked up a plume of steam and snow as the aircraft rotated. Cope North Exercise A pair of F-22 Raptor pilots assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, fly near Guam, while Japanese Air Self-Defense Force maintainers from the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Tsuiki AB, Japan, prepare F-2 aircraft for a mission on Guam during exercise Cope North in February. The US and the Japanese air forces conduct Exercise Cope North annually at Andersen AFB, Guam, to increase combat readiness and interoperability by concentrating on coordination and evaluation of air tactics, techniques, and procedures.