Ang Pahayagan

PAMPANGA – Filipino and American fighter jet pilots conducted air-to-air combat training over the skies of Clark Air Base, Mabalacat City, Pampanga on Tuesday.

In a statement Wednesday, Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said Filipino pilots from the 5th Fighter Wing and their American counterparts from the 14th Fighter Squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF) took part in a Cope Thunder training that focused on defensive and offensive counter-air operations.

During the simulation exercise, Castillo said skilled fighter jet pilots from both air forces showcased their expertise in executing both defensive and offensive counter-air drills.

These were done with the PAF using four FA-50PHs and the USAF using six F-16s flying over the intensive military training areas in Luzon.

“The whole goal was to teach them how we do our briefing, execution, and debriefs so that we can increase our interoperability throughout the region, as well as build a relationship with their pilots on the ground,” USAF fighter pilot Capt. Frank Martin said.

Meanwhile, Capt. Ferdinand Jose of the PAF said these exercises enable the forces to simulate multiple threats, react effectively as a coalition, and prepare themselves for any possible contingency.

He added that “air power is critical in modern warfare, and these training exercises are vital in improving the forces’ readiness and interoperability.”

The original Cope Thunder Exercise was a multilateral Air Force event between the United States and its allied countries.

It was first held in 1976 and continued annually in the Philippines until its discontinuation after the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1990.

The multilateral exercise was then moved to Alaska and was dubbed “Red Flag Alaska.”

Relatedly, in 2016, the Philippine-US Air Forces started its bilateral exercises in 2016, dubbed BACE-P or Bilateral Air Contingent Exercises-Philippines.

For this year, the BACE-P was named Cope Thunder 23-1, thus essentially reviving the Cope Thunder Exercises after more than three decades.

Senator eyes US Navy’s help in PH cloud seeding ops

Senator Francis Tolentino said the United States Navy’s capability to assist the Philippine government in cloud seeding operations can be part of the maritime cooperation agreement between the two countries, which includes humanitarian aid and calamity response.

“To add value to the current maritime cooperation, I look forward to the involvement of US Navy planes in assisting us in cloud seeding operations in various parts of the country to help us combat the current El Nino, to help our farmers,” Tolentino said in a press briefing.

“Siguro, yung ating existing cooperation sa kanila na kasama ang humanitarian missions ay hindi lang naman calamity. Calamity din po ang El Niño eh (Maybe our existing cooperation with them involving humanitarian missions is not only for calamities. El Niño is also a calamity),” he said.

Tolentino noted that the Department of Agriculture (DA) needs to hire private planes to conduct cloud seeding operations to supplement the water needs of crops during periods of low rainfall.

The lawmaker said he saw the effects of El Niño when he recently visited the provinces of Isabela and Zambales.

The Philippine and US governments have agreed to establish more Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in different parts of the country, which are seen to boost humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, as proven by the use of the Lal-lo Airfield EDCA site in Cagayan for relief missions during the height of Typhoon Egay in August last year. (Priam Nepomuceno and Wilnard Bacelonia – PNA)

📸 The V-22 Osprey, US Navy’s multi-mission aircraft, during the Balikatan training exercise in San Antonio, Zambales. (Ang Pahayagan file photo)