JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawai‘i - The Hawai‘i Air National Guard (HIANG) will be hosting a Sentry Aloha fighter exercise from Wednesday, Jan. 29 through Feb. 12. O‘ahu residents, particularly along the island’s southern coast, may see an increase in military aircraft during takeoffs and landings at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The public may hear more jets and there is a possibility of short flight delays.

Sentry Aloha is an ongoing series of exercises hosted by the HIANG’s 154th Wing enabling tailored, cost-effective, and realistic combat training for Air National Guard, U.S. Air Force, and other Department of Defense services. It provides U.S. warfighters with the skill sets necessary to perform homeland defense and overseas combat missions.

Sentry Aloha exercises have been conducted by the HIANG for more than 20 years. This iteration of the exercise, Sentry Aloha 25-1, will involve approximately 800 personnel and over 28 aircraft from four states.

Visiting units include the F-35C Lightning II’s from California, and KC-135 Stratotankers from Washington and Mississippi. The visiting aircraft will take part in simulated combat exercises with the 199th and 19th Fighter Squadrons’ Hickam-based “Hawaiian Raptors.”

The 199th Fighter Squadron is part of the 154th Wing, the largest wing in the Air National Guard. The Hawai‘i Air National Guard comprises nearly 2,500 personnel whose federal mission is to be trained and available for active duty Air Force operational missions.