Oregon Air National Guard hosting combat training this week

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Take a look up this week and you might catch sight of a fighter jet overhead because the Oregon Air National Guard is hosting combat training.

The Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing will be hosting Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 from Lemoore, California and the 194th Fighter Squadron from Freson Air National Guard Base for realistic combat scenarios off the Oregon Coast and over Eastern Oregon.

Steve Conklin, 142nd Wing Public Affairs Superintendent, shared that the training helps pilots train with different aircrafts and different environments to help prepare them for real combat.

“Training with dissimilar aircraft such as the Super Hornets gives our pilots the ability to train in a multi-service and multi-aircraft environment that they don’t typically see outside of a large-scale exercise," said Conklin. "In a real-world contested environment, multiple aircraft from different services can be expected to fight together.”

Flights take off and land at Portland International Airport every day and will be taking place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. between Monday and Friday.