A U.S. KC-46A Pegasus refueled Finnish F/A-18s for the first time in Finland airspace, Dec. 7, as part of a U.S. Air Forces in Europe partnership exercise called Copper Arrow.
Copper Arrow is a U.S. Air Force total force exercise, specific to U.S. tanker aircraft, which enhances readiness and operational relationships with NATO Allies and Partners, critical to maintaining a postured and ready U.S. force in the region. U.S.-based tankers have been supporting Copper Arrow on a rotational basis since 2016.
“This iteration of Copper Arrow will go a long way in increasing overall USAFE-AFAFRICA readiness,” said Gen. James Hecker, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander. “Our ability to seamlessly train and exercise with our NATO Allies and Partners is not only a testament to our ready and postured U.S. forces in Europe, but also a statement of our strong and cooperative relationships with those valued Allies and Partners.” Läs artikel