The Air Force has decided to rename and recast the Cope Thunder exercise run by Pacific Air Forces in Alaska to provide “complimentary training on the same level as the current Red Flag exercise run by Air Combat Command out of Nellis AFB, Nev.,” according to an Air Force announcement Tuesday. USAF expects to develop “standardized and equal training capabilities.” There was no indication whether the new Red Flag Alaska—the first of which takes place next month—will be an annual or quarterly event. The last Cope Thunder took place last October.
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…