Exercise Northern Edge 2025 has launched in and near Alaska, involving more than 6,400 service members and dozens of U.S. and Canadian aircraft and vessels, a Navy news release said.

The annual exercise, which began Friday, is led by Indo-Pacific Command and aims to strengthen air- and sea-based combat readiness.

The exercise is also intended to improve coordination between Northern Command and Indo-Pacific Command, exercise director and Air Force Brig. Gen. Rick Goodman said, according to the release.

“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,” Goodman said in the release.

Northern Edge 2025 is running concurrently with Arctic Edge 2025, an annual exercise involving Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. It is the first time the two annual exercises have coincided.

Arctic Edge began Aug. 1 and will continue for the rest of the month.

Northern Edge is more concerned with power projection, and Arctic Edge is more concerned with homeland defense, Goodman said.

Northern Edge should also improve interoperability between the U.S. and its allies. Members of the Canadian navy and air force that are participating in the exercise will do so as integrated members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, the release said.