Two P-8 Poseidon aircraft from the U.S. Navy’s Patrol Squadron 5 (VP-5), the “Mad Foxes,” participated to anti-submarine warfare exercise Sea Dragon 2021, Jan. 12.The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) with VP-5, traveled to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to improve their skills with members of the Royal Australian Air Force, Canadian Air Force, Indian Navy, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Sea Dragon 2021, centres on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training and excellence to include 125 hours of in-flight training ranging from tracking simulated targets to the final problem of finding and tracking USS Chicago, a U.S. Navy Los Angeles class nuclear submarine. During classroom training sessions, pilots and flight officers from all countries will build plans and discuss incorporating tactics, capabilities and equipment for their respective nations into the exercise. Each exercise is graded, and the nation scoring the highest total points will receive the coveted Dragon Belt award. The belt was formally introduced last year when awarded to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Exercise Sea Dragon 2021 is an annual multinational exercise with military participants from Australia, Canada, India, Japan and deployed U.S. Navy aircraft squadrons in the vicinity of Guam.