Aircraft refuelling tankers from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), US Air Force (USAF), and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) have successfully completed a refuelling mission as Exercise Cope North 2025 concluded on February 21, 2025.
A task force of 10 tankers, including a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker, KC-46 Pegasus, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and KC-130J Hercules, has refueled a total of 64 fighter jets from the three participating countries.
Precision logistics meets tactical execution—all in perfect sync.🔥
Watch a KC-135 refuel an F-16 midair during #CopeNorth25, where U.S., @JASDF_PAO_ENG & @AusAirForce forces train to sustain lethal, combat-ready airpower in the #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. ✈️
#AerialRefueling pic.twitter.com/5vJ3Kl2zAi
— PACAF (@PACAF) February 20, 2025
During the two-week large force employment (LFE) at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the RAAF KC-30A had more than 100 visits to its refueling strobes and boom, sharing more than 300 tons of fuel and sustaining 240 fast-jet flying hours.
According to the RAAF, this is the equivalent effort of flying a Boeing 737 from Sydney to Melbourne 80 times.
“We have been working alongside both the USAF and JASDF tankers closely since day one, including flying, mission planning and supporting one another,” KC-30A and 33 Squadron pilot Flight Lieutenant Sara from the RAAF said in a statement.
“Participating in Exercise Cope North 25 has been particularly rewarding due to the number of assets involved in the mission planning and execution. It is uncommon to exercise with up to eight tanker aircraft in a single flight, yet we have proven with good communication and coordination it can be achieved seamlessly between all three nations,” Sara said.
Exercise Cope North 25 commenced on February 3, 2025, and included 275 aviators operating out of Guam in a variety of roles. In addition to mission planning and flying interoperability, the exercise also provided opportunities for cultural and ground-based skill role integration and development, including intelligence, security forces, and logistics.
