JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- U.S. Air Force Airmen and B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin March 29 and have commenced training with the Royal Australian Defence Force as part of the Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC) initiative shared between the two allied nations.

The B-52H aircrew and bombers departed from Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam and are scheduled to remain in Australia through early April in order to train with Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornets and PC-9 aircraft as well as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers in designated military airspace near RAAF Williamtown.

The training is designed to exercise close air support scenarios, ultimately increasing the abilities of the two militaries to operate together and to enhance security cooperation in the region.

The B-52H's presence at RAAF Darwin marks the second EAC event of 2018. The first, held at Andersen AFB in February, tested and improved the aeromedical evacuation capabilities shared by the two air forces.

The EAC initiative, codified in 2014 by signature between the U.S. Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of State, and their Australian counterparts, fosters greater integration between U.S. Department of Defense air elements and the Australian Defence Force to enhance interoperability across the full spectrum of operations.