POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Feb 28, 2022: US Air Force Airmen assigned to the 36th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) members celebrated the kick-off of Exercise Cope South 2022.
Exercise Cope South is a bi-annual Pacific Air Forces-sponsored bilateral tactical airlift exercise that provides an opportunity for the US and Bangladesh forces to train together to strengthen partnerships and enhance interoperability, a press said disseminated by US Embassy here said today.
More than 70 US Air Force Airmen, one US Space Force Guardian and approximately 300 BAF personnel, share best practices and complete combined training objectives during the weeklong exercise.
During the ceremony held on February 19, Bangladesh Air Force Air Vice Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of the US Air Force and BAF partnership.
“This is a very instrumental exercise for Bangladesh armed forces, by which, definitely over the years gained a lot of professional competency,” he said.
Khan said, since this exercise has been conducted, for the last 27 years, it has benefited the Bangladesh Armed Forces, especially the Bangladesh Air Force, through developing interoperability between the air forces.
36th EAS commander Lt. Col. Kira Coffey said Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief are capability the US share with Bangladesh.
“We look forward to conducting valuable tactical airlift training and learning from each other so that we cannot just be better, but be better together,” she said.
Exercise Cope South 2022 is intended to exercise participant tasks, evaluate proficiency and identify future training and other actions that enhance partnership capability between US and Bangladesh forces, said the release.
