U.S., Japan collaborate for upcoming Northern Viper exercise

By Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman, 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published August 02, 2017

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 6

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Guico, a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 airframe aerial observer, and William Payne, a VMM-262 avionics technician, watch a MV-22 Osprey takeoff at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 31, 2017. More than 3,500 Japan and U.S. military service members will participate in exercise Northern Viper 17, a bilateral and joint exercise showcasing the defense capabilities of the Japan and U.S. alliance. The VMM-262 squadron is from in Okinawa, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 6

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Guico, a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 airframe aerial observer, watches a MV-22 Osprey, assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 in Okinawa, Japan, takeoff at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 31, 2017. The VMM-262 squadron was temporarily on-station for certifications for the upcoming exercise, Northern Viper 17. The exercise will focus on enhancing combined capabilities with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, while being forward-deployed to mainland Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 6

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys, assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 in Okinawa, Japan, prepare to takeoff at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 31, 2017. The VMM-262 squadron were temporarily on-station for various certifications for the upcoming joint aircraft training relocation, Exercise Northern Viper 2017. The exercise is scheduled to begin Aug. 10 and is designed to enhance bilateral defense capabilities between the U.S. and Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 4 of 6

U.S. Marines, assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 in Okinawa, Japan, discuss flight operations at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 31, 2017. The VMM-262 squadron was temporarily on-station for certifications for the upcoming exercise, Northern Viper 17. The exercise will focus on enhancing combined capabilities with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, while being forward-deployed to mainland Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 5 of 6

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Guico, a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 airframe aerial observer, discusses emergency procedures with a 35th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 31, 2017. More than 3,500 Japan and U.S. service members will conduct exercise Northern Viper 17 during Aug. 10 to 28. The 35th Fighter Wing is providing logistical support and conducting close-air-support with joint terminal attack controllers at Draughon Range. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 6 of 6

U.S. Marines speak with 35th Fighter Wing first responders about emergency procedures specific to the MV-22 Osprey, assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 in Okinawa, Japan, at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 31, 2017. More than 3,500 Japanese and U.S. service members will conduct exercise Northern Viper 17 during Aug. 10 to 28. The 35th Fighter Wing is providing logistical support and conducting close-air-support with joint terminal attack controllers at Draughon Range. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Deana Heitzman)

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- More than 3,500 Japan and U.S. military service members will conduct a bilateral and joint exercise showcasing the defense capabilities of their alliance on the island of Hokkaido, Aug. 10 to 28.

Approximately 500 Marines and 18 aircraft will be supported by and operate out of the 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base.

During the first iteration of exercise Northern Viper 2017, Marines from the 3rd Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing will join the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s 11th Brigade during the three-week deployment to further solidify regional security.

Additionally, 35th FW personnel and F-16 Fighting Falcons will conduct rotary wing close air support trainings with joint terminal attack controller support at Draughon Range.

“We are improving our readiness not only in the air, but as a logistical support team,” said Col. R. Scott Jobe, the 35th Fighter Wing commander. “We are hosting about 500 Marines on-station and will support them and their aircraft during their tenure here. We are in a prime location for contingency purposes and this exercise will only build upon our readiness in the case a real-world scenario occurs.”

Forward-deployed forces from the 3rd Marine Division, based in Okinawa, will be firing the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) for the first time ever in Japan at Yausubetsu, located in Hokkaido. The Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st MAW will participate with a variety of aircraft to include the MV-22 Osprey, the UH-1 Huey and AH-1Z Cobra.

NV17 is designed to exercise the U.S. and Japan’s interoperability as a bilateral, joint defense force and to execute relocation training to mainland Japan. During this relocation, Misawa AB is testing its readiness as a power projection hub, while preparing and supporting follow-on forces and various rotary-wing aircraft.

“This exercise is an opportunity to showcase the joint and bilateral capabilities we have throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,” said Jobe. “Misawa is a hub for forward-deployed operations if a real-world scenario were to occur; it is vital for us to maintain security and enhance our combined abilities with our Marine and Japanese partners.”

Various community engagement events, including a beach cleanup and a Hirosaki orphanage visit, are scheduled throughout the duration of the exercise with participation from U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps service members.

Planned media opportunities are set for the following dates:

Aug. 10 – Opening Ceremony and bilateral interview in Hokudaien, Japan
Aug. 16 – Bilateral live-fire in Hokudaien, Japan
Aug. 20 – High Mobility Artillery Rocket System live-fire in Yausubetsu, Japan.

Media interested in attending any event must send their full name, agency, event they wish to attend, email, make and model of their vehicle and license plate to IIIMEFPAO@usmc.mil. For additional information or questions regarding this exercise, email 1st Lt. Joshua P. Hays at Joshua.Hays@usmc.mil.

If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.