Air Force leaders this week announced a new name for the Pacific Air Forces-sponsored Cope Thunder exercise held in Alaska.

The new exercise will be called Red Flag-Alaska, based on the Red Flag exercises held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The Nellis version is one of the largest live-fire, realistic aerial war games conducted by the Air Force, with participants from several countries and NATO.

Cope Thunder was changed to Red Flag to represent the exercise’s expanded training and mission, according to an Air Force statement.

“Red Flag-Alaska, coupled with Red Flag-Nellis, will provide the Air Force a common set of exercises in multiple locations that have standardized and equal training capabilities,” the statement said.

The new version, scheduled to begin this summer, will offer better training opportunities with other services and countries, Air Force leaders said.

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