ANDERSEN AFB, Guam (Jan. 21, 2020) – The U.S. Navy and its maritime partners wrapped up operations for the multilateral exercise Sea Dragon 2022, Jan 20.
Personnel from the United States and five partner and allied nations gathered at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to participate in the fourth annual Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training exercise, Jan. 5-20.
Top-performing combat aircrews from the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Republic of Korea Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Indian Navy were invited from around the world to join the U.S. Navy in a showcase of exceptional ASW talent. The exercise was an opportunity for each country to hone tactics, expand allied and partner interoperability, and engage in friendly competition and camaraderie.
The “Tridents” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 sent two combat aircrews to operate alongside their international counterparts to strengthen ASW coordination amongst partners. Over the course of the exercise, VP-26 completed 12 ASW missions totaling over 45 flight hours and earned the “Sniper” award for the most accurate torpedo attack. The Tridents also placed a close runner-up in the overall competition to the reigning “Dragon Belt” champions, the Royal Canadian Air Force.
“It was great to see partner nations come together for this exercise,” said Lt. Kevin Niles, the detachment Assistant Officer in Charge. “Integrating multiple platforms presents complexities we don’t typically see when operating with other U.S. aircrews. Being able to coordinate in real-time and exercise turnover procedures enabled us to overcome challenges encountered on station, instilling confidence in our ability to safely and effectively conduct combined ASW operations with our partners and allies.”
Niles also said the exercise was very successful in increasing the level of lethality among all participants and improving each nation’s ability to prosecute future adversaries.
Numerous maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft participated in this exercise. The United States Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, and Indian Navy all showcased their variants of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The Republic of Korea and the Royal Canadian Air Force participated with the P-3C and CP-140 Aurora, while the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force operated the P-1.
VP-26, based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, is currently operating from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadron conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as theater outreach operations as a part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2022 03:27 |
| Story ID: | 413584 |
| Location: | ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU |
| Web Views: | 348 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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