Pilots from Malaysia and the US have joined forces for Cope Taufan 06—a three-week air-to-air training exercise, designed to sharpen air combat tactics and build closer relations between the Pacific allies. Cope Taufan—Taufan meaning “big storm” in Malaysian—is a biannual exercise by the Royal Malaysian Air Force, with this year’s installment including eight USAF F-15s and more than 114 maintainers, munition handlers, and pilots. The RMAF is participating with MiG-29 Fulcrums, Hawk 208s, and the F/A-18 Hornet.
When Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Dan Caine described the 150 aircraft used in Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he referenced many by name, including the F-35 and F-22 fighters and B-1 bomber. Not specified, however, were “remotely piloted drones,” among them a secretive aircraft spotted and photographed returning to Puerto…
