More than 1,900 US and allied personnel recently wrapped up a ballistic missile defense exercise that spanned across 11 countries in Europe and the Middle East. The 11-day exercise—cross-area of responsibility air and missile defense exercise, or CAMDEX—was created in response to the growing missile-based threat in the regions, according to a US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa release. From April 18 to April 29, more than for 40 US and foreign interagency organizations made use of all available ballistic missile defense measures, including US Army systems, AEGIS BMD, long-range radars, and space-based sensors. Passive defense, or the use of protective measures like warning systems, was practiced along with active defense, attack operations, and command and control. Missile defense “can’t be just about playing catch,” said USAFE-AFAFRICA boss Gen. Frank Gorenc, in the release.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.