Volk Field finished another year of its most comprehensive military training exercise last week.

Northern Lightning Counterland is a 12-day development session primarily for members of the United States Air Force and Air National Guard in which possible adversarial attacks are simulated with military aircraft. Pilots from each military branch received training on flight techniques and response to potential threats during the Aug. 7-19 stretch.

The United States Marine Corps and Air Force Reserve also were at Northern Lightning. Over 1,000 participants from the four service branches and more than 60 aircraft were involved in the exercise, according to an event press release.

“Northern Lightning is our premier fourth and fifth fighter aircraft integration exercise,” said Wisconsin Air National Guard Col. Matt Eakins, the Volk Field commander who is also an Air Force member. “Over 10 years, we’ve just worked continually to increase the training opportunities for (National) Guard Active Duty and our joint counterpart air crews.”

Various fighter jets such as F-16s and F-35s were used in Northern Lightning. Participants used the airspace over central Wisconsin to simulate combatant situations, with former service members serving in hypothetical enemy roles.

“Northern Lightning focuses on Counter Air operations vs. near-peer and peer adversaries wielding a robust, simulated IADS—Integrated Air Defense Systems—comprised of relevant 21st century threats,” Maj. Tyler Shaver, Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center Operations Director, said in a statement.

In 2023, Northern Lightning added increased ground training, Eakins said, adding that multiple control functions were integrated to create a comprehensive development exercise. The exercise increases combat readiness through “emphasizing user-defined objectives,” according to the press release.

“It’s exciting to get training airborne and on the ground all at the same time,” Eakins said.

The exercise emphasizes air interdiction and fighter integration and focuses on air training objectives for state and federal missions, according to the press release.

“A lot of exercises put on in the Air Force are more directive in nature,” Eakins said. “You just don’t really get an input into individual level training.”

Individual units can sign up for various training in specialized flight and combat areas in January, Eakins said, adding that simulations are then tailored from then until Northern Lightning.

“The training staff is just super dedicated to their individual jobs, which are important to the big picture,” Eakins said.

Family members of participants were intermittently permitted to observe the exercise from afar.