The exercise was carried out in cooperation with the United States and operated from Tyndall Air Force Base. Several F/A-18A/B Hornets from the 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron were deployed to Florida for the activity.
The aircraft involved had previously undergone modernization and life-extension upgrades. These improvements are intended to allow safe operational use of the fleet through at least 2032.
According to Canadian media reports, the Hornets launched two AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles during the exercise. The integration of the missile is expected to help maintain operational capability, particularly in the context of Canada’s cooperation with the United States under the NORAD integrated air defense system.
The launch represented the first known instance of the AIM-120D-3 being fired from an aircraft not belonging to the United States Armed Forces. The development highlights ongoing efforts to expand interoperability between allied air forces.
The AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM has also been procured by countries including Finland and Poland. In those cases, the missile is intended for use on Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole combat aircraft.
Canada has ordered its first batch of F-35A aircraft, with deliveries scheduled for 2026 and 2027. The procurement package also includes a limited number of AIM-120D-3 missiles to support future operations.
