The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) are honing their abilities to fight together with yesterday’s launch of the Cope Thunder Philippines (CT PH 25-1) drills at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
The aerial wargames, wherein representatives from the air forces of five other friendly nations are present as observers, will run until April 18, PAF spokesperson Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo told reporters.
PAF Chief Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura and COMPACAF Air National Guard Mobilization Assistant Maj. Gen. Christopher Sheppard led the ceremonies officially kicking off the exercises.
‘”Enhancing combat readiness and elevating joint mission effectiveness” would be central to the Cope Thunder exercise, Cordura said in a speech at the ceremony.
“Further down the road, we look forward to the seamless transition to exercise Balikatan, which will continue to push the boundaries of our interoperability,” Cordura added.
Sheppard, on the other hand, noted that “the pace of our alliance is accelerating.”
Like the majority of Balikatan’s planned activities, Cope Thunder will be conducted on northern Luzon island, the area of the Philippines closest to Taiwan.
“CT PH 25-1 will be held across key training locations in Northern Luzon, including Basa Air Base and Clark Air Base in Pampanga and Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base in Tarlac,” Castillo said.
For this iteration of Cope Thunder Philippines, Castillo stated that the PAF is deploying 729 personnel along with a variety of aircraft, including the FA-50PH, A-29B “Super Tucano,” S-76A, and S70i “Black Hawk” helicopters.
In contrast, PACAF has sent 250 personnel and 12 F-16 fighter jets.
“The exercise will highlight field training exercises on aircraft maneuvers and tactics,” Castillo said.
For the first time, the PAF is hosting an International Observer Program (IOP) as part of the exercise, with participants from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Indonesian Air Force.
Castillo explained that the exercise will also include subject matter expert exchanges across a variety of fields, such as fighter and close air support operations, helicopter operations, cybersecurity, communications, aircraft maintenance, logistics, security, and medical services.
CT PH 25-1 represents a significant milestone in enhancing joint operational readiness and strengthening defense relations between the Philippines and the United States.
It also supports the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ ongoing modernization and capability development efforts, she added.