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More than 6,400 service members, 100 aircraft and seven U.S. and Canadian vessels are participating in Northern Edge 2025, a joint field-training exercise taking place at various locations in and around Alaska.
The exercise, led by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, serves as a platform for joint, multidomain operations to deliver high-end, realistic warfighter training, strengthen joint interoperability and sharpen the air and sea-based combat readiness of U.S. and participating forces.
"Northern Edge 2025 brings together multidomain capabilities in high-end warfighting to ensure readiness to deter and, if necessary, defeat any adversary," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Rick Goodman, the exercise director. "Additionally, NE25 allows the joint force to work through posture and sustainment, specifically here in Alaska."
Beyond tactical execution, Northern Edge aims at larger operational priorities.
"One of the key objectives of [the exercise] is the cross-combatant command coordination between Indo-Pacom and [U.S. Northern Command]," Goodman added. "This highlights the criticality of Alaska as a key strategic geographic location important to homeland defense, as well as power projection, should we find ourselves in a conflict in the Indo-Pacific [region]."
Participants represent all U.S. armed services in multiple domains, including cyber operations with the Army. Additionally, the Royal Canadian Navy and Air Force will be fully integrated with U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force mission sets. Canadian assets include the Airbus CC-150 Polaris refueler and Halifax-class frigate HMCS Regina.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will participate in the exercise along with other elements of Carrier Strike Group 3, including Destroyer Squadron 21, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS O'Kane, USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and the nine squadrons of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 9.
"The mission of U.S. Navy carrier strike groups is to deliver sea control and power projection wherever the nation needs us," said Navy Rear Adm. Todd Whalen, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3. "The sailors and Marines of [USS] Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group are excited to serve alongside our joint force counterparts to demonstrate our commitment to the region and our combined lethality."
This year, Northern Edge coincides with Exercise Arctic Edge 2025, an annual exercise conducted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northcom. For the first time, the two exercises will occur concurrently with activities spanning the Alaska theater of operations, from the Aleutians to Adak Island.
"Arctic Edge is focusing on the homeland defense here in Alaska, and Northern Edge is going to add on a very specific layer of power projection and that high-end warfighting capability," Goodman said.
He added that by executing operations simultaneously, both commands can enhance cross-combatant command coordination, integrate missions and demonstrate the ability to position and sustain operations throughout the theater.
