Phl, US air forces train on basic fighting maneuvers

Floridablanca, PAMPANGA—The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Thursday trained side-by-side with the United States Pacific Air Forces (US-PACAF) on basic fighting maneuvers in Basa Air Base in Floridablanca as part of their ongoing bilateral Cope Thunder Exercise.

PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, the Cope Thunder Exercise was part of the agreed activities by the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Info-Pacific Command.

On Thursday, the PAF utilized four of its FA-50 fighter jets while the USAF four of its F-16 aircraft in a series of air operations drills under basic fighting maneuvers drills exercise.

Further, Castillo said the Cope Thunder training is also part of the country's preparations for participating in the Australian-led Pitch Black exercise scheduled from July to August.

"This Cope Thunder 24-1 is to prepare the Philippine Air Force for our future participation in international exercises—for one, we are going to have our biggest so far in the Pitch Black Exercise which is expected to happen in Australia," she added.

Under the objectives of the Cope Thunder, Castillo said the USAF will teach PAF to prepare for a large force deployment as necessary for the incoming Pitch Black exercise.

"What we will learn from this Cope Thunder exercise could add up to our confidence and capabilities in participating Pitch Black exercise. We are preparing very well,"she added.

She explained the Cope Thunder is also part of the AFP's efforts to improve its interoperability with like-minded countries as the country's paradigm shifts to external defense.

Meanwhile, US Air Force pilot, Captain Jonathan Phase Marshall, stressed that the Cope Thunder is not directed towards the Philippines' territorial challenges, but showcasing PAF and PACAF's bilateral partnerships "to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific."

"I think, it is important to understand that these exercises are planned in months, sometimes this year in advance and we have been doing exercises like that for many years now and we're continuing to do so not because of the current things that we are into right now," Marshall said.

"We prepare ourselves to operate in a joint environment one day, for not any current, present threat but future threats that we might even know about yet," he added.

Cope Thunder was an annual bilateral exercise between the US Armed Forces and the Philippine Air Force way back in 1976 and it ended in 1991 when Mount Pinatubo erupted.

In 2023, the Cope Thunder was revived.