A Filipino pilot took command of a strike package involving about 20 aircraft from five countries and successfully led a large-force employment mission involving nearly 60 aircraft during Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia.

Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. hailed the performance of the Philippine Air Force contingent, saying the exercise showed the level of coordination and interoperability required in modern air operations.

Teodoro visited the Philippine contingent on 6 and 7 August at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Darwin, where he observed the exercise.

“I was genuinely proud and amazed, and it was an eye-opener seeing how complicated an exercise this is,” Teodoro said.

He also credited the personnel supporting the aircraft and pilots, saying the operation required more than the participation of those in the air.

“What’s also there is the importance of those on the ground and those who brought our people here. So it’s a whole ecosystem that needs to work together, not merely the participation of one, but the crucial participation of all,” he said.

“For us to work on the microsecond level, it is really something that each and every Filipino should be proud of,” Teodoro added.

The defense chief said the exercise underscored the need for closer cooperation and interoperability between the Philippines and its defense partners.