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‘Northern Edge’ set to begin

The biggest annual military training exercise in Alaska is set to kick off Monday, bringing together about 5,000 soldiers, airmen, Marines and sailors from bases in Alaska, California, Nevada and Japan.

Northern Edge 2008 — conducted primarily out of Elmendorf and Eielson Air Force bases in Alaska — involves more than 120 Air Force, Army, Air National Guard, Navy and Marine aircraft.

The largely aerial event is conducted throughout the vast airspace of the Pacific Alaska Range Complex and in the Gulf of Alaska.

The exercise aims to train cross-service combatants to fight with better coordination and to improve command and communication aspects of combat.

Participants will practice defensive counter air, close-air support, air interdiction of maritime targets and personnel recovery missions, as well as integrate new weapons systems to evaluate their performance.

Participating aircraft include the F-22 Raptor, F-15 Eagle, E-3 Sentry, F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, HC-130 Combat Talon, B-52 Stratofortress, F/A-18 Hornet and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter.

Active-duty and Guard units will come from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Misawa Air Base, Japan; Kulis Air National Guard Base, Alaska; Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan; and Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

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