The Armed Forces of the Philippines is eyeing more soldiers to participate in next year’s military drills with the United States and their allies as they officially closed the largest Balikatan joint military exercises on Friday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
AFP chief of staff, Gen. Andres Centino said the Balikatan 2023 exercises were “very successful” with several firsts on various training fronts as he led the closing rites together with Department of National Defense chief Carlito Galvez and US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.
As the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder in Filipino) drills drew to an end, the two countries’ air forces revived their joint exercises called “Cope Thunder,” 23 years after they were stopped in 1991.
The US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs said the exercise is set to start May 1 and last until May 12.
“It provides a unique opportunity to integrate forces and improve interoperability between the Philippines and the United States,” it said.
This will be the first iteration of Cope Thunder in the Philippines since 1990.
“We had a very successful Balikatan this year with a lot of firsts. We had many new activities in the last three weeks in multiple venues.
After this will be another round of preparations—it’s a whole year preparation where we will see what needs to be improved or refined,” Centino said.
“If we see there is a need to add people, it will be better if we have a chance to train with other armies of our friends and allies,” the AFP chief added.
This year’s Balikatan Exercises had 17,600 participants with 12,200 troops from the United States and 5,400 Filipino servicemen.
The joint military drills aimed to enhance the two countries’ capabilities and interoperability.
Balikatan 2023 had four major events: Command Post Exercise, Cyber Defense Exercise, Field Training Exercise, and Humanitarian Civic Assistance.
The Balikatan exercises also had a live littoral fire exercise in Zambales which culminated in the sinking of a ship, an activity witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The opening of the Cope Thunder will include primary flight operations over Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, the statement said.
Cope Thunder aims to provide bilateral fighter training with the Philippine and US air forces and improve their combined interoperability, it added.
Around 160 US Air Force members are expected to fly as well as maintain and support more than 12 aircraft from the 35 Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base in Japan for the exercise.
Armed Force of the Philippines personnel will exchange tactics, techniques and procedures while improving interoperability during the exercise.
The Cope Thunder joint military exercises started in the Philippines in 1976.
It was moved to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in 1992 and eventually renamed Red Flag Alaska, the Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs said.
Cope Thunder was moved to Eielson from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1992 after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced the curtailment of its operations.
In 1991, the Philippine Senate also rejected the renewal of the US base lease in the country.
Also on Friday, the Philippine Navy (PN) announced it has deployed a missile frigate — BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), along with an AW-109 naval helicopter to take part in the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) 2023 which will be held in Singapore.
The 140-strong contingent, named Naval Task Group 80.5, had its send-off ceremony on Thursday.
“Fleet-Marine Ready Force (FMRF) commander, Marine Brig. Gen. Edwin Amadar, led the send-off of a 140-strong contingent held at the Naval Operating Base Subic,” PN spokesperson Capt. Benjo Negranza said in a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency.
He said AIME 2023 will be conducted in Singapore from May 2 to 8.
It will feature harbor and at-sea events aimed at enhancing interoperability and exchange of best practices among participating navies.
“The Philippine contingent will also attend the coinciding event in Singapore, the International Maritime Defense Exhibition Asia (IMDEX) 2023,” Negranza said.
The event provides a platform for the defense and maritime sectors to foster engagements and showcase latest innovations. — With AFP