U.S., Indonesian air forces kickoff exercise Cope West 2018

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, Joseph Donovan Jr., places a patch on a member of the Indonesian air force during the exercise Cope West 18 (CW18) opening ceremony at Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Indonesia, March 12, 2018. CW18 is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral exercise involving the U.S. and Indonesian air forces and is designed to advance interoperability and build upon already established partnerships between the air forces. This year will mark the second time that U.S. fighter aircraft training has taken place in Indonesia in two decades and the sixth time Cope West has been hosted in Indonesia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard Ebensberger)