Bold Quest 09 underway

The U.S. Joint Forces Command will host an assessment of coalition combat identification systems at Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point Air Station this week.

Bold Quest 09 runs now through Nov. 5 and will focus on air-to-ground friendly force identification. Participants from all four services, U.S. Special Operations Command, and 10 coalition nations will be present for the event.

Officials say the assessment event, the latest in a series, is driven by a need to make fighters more effective in engaging targets while reducing the risk of friendly fire.

Aircraft from the U.S., Canada, and France will launch from six stations along the east coast, including Cherry Point and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in support of the demonstration.