PAF fighter pilots train for 'Balikatan'

Pilots from the Philippine Air Force and the United States Air Force hone their aerial combat skills through Air Combat Maneuvers (ACM) flown in FA-50 and F-16 aircraft over an Intensive military training area, West of Zambales as part of Cope Thunder 24-1. Photo from Philippine Air Force

PHILIPPINE Air Force (PAF) fighter pilots held air combat maneuvering (ACM) training in the ongoing Cope Thunder Philippines (CT PH 24-1), its spokesman said on Tuesday.

In a statement, PAF spokesman Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said the ACM is a critical component of the flight integration training (FTI) exercise in preparation for the upcoming large force employment (LFE) missions for this year’s “Balikatan” exercises.

“This rigorous training in Cope Thunder 24-1 goes beyond individual skill, as it also provides a platform to improve teamwork and communication, which are essential for mission success in a joint environment,” she added.

Castillo said PAF pilots and their United States Air Force counterparts are honing their ACM skills through their FA-50PH and F-16 jet fighters at a military training area located west of Zambales province, as part of CT PH 24-1.

Earlier, Castillo said the initial phase of CT PH 24-1 would concentrate on expert exchanges and field exercises in air and ground operations. CT-PH 24 -1 is scheduled from April 8 to 19.

This includes logistics and mission support planning and execution which are necessary in large force deployment.

This will also prepare the PAF in its anticipated participation in Pitch Black Exercise 2024 in Australia in July.

The exercise is part of the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board activities for this year.

The CT PH 24-1 is tentatively scheduled to have a second iteration in June.

The 39th iteration of Balikatan, the largest annual bilateral training exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military, will kick off on April 22 and end on May 10 this year.

The US Embassy in Manila said the exercise directly supports the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty by enhancing military cooperation and readiness between the two militaries.

This year, there will be more than 16,000 members of the AFP and the US military who will train together with contingents from the Australian Defense Force. For the first time in Balikatan’s history, the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants.

As part of the AFP-hosted international observer program, the 14 nations that are participating are Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The embassy added that the participants during the Balikatan 2024 will execute a range of complex missions across domains, including maritime security, sensing and targeting, air and missile defense, dynamic missile strikes, cyber defense and information operations.

It said the Philippine Navy, the US Navy and the French Navy would also conduct a Multilateral Maritime Exercise in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said that this year’s Balikatan Exercise underscores their steadfast dedication to amplifying interoperability and readiness by collaborating with their friends, partners and allies.

“Together, we speed up our march towards enhancing our military capabilities for maritime security alongside honing other competencies to effectively address the dynamic challenges across all domains,” Brawner said.

Lt. Gen. William Jurney, commander of US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, said each year, they work closely with AFP senior leaders to make Balikatan more challenging.

“This year, we’ve increased the scope, scale and complexity across all domains. We’re building military readiness across the full range of combined and joint operations. It’s our most expansive Balikatan yet,” said Jurney, who is involved in designing, planning and conducting the exercise.

The embassy said the Balikatan 2024 is organized into three main exercises: protecting key terrain in Luzon and Palawan in support of territorial defense, a command-and-control drill that includes a cyber defense exercise to strengthen bilateral defense of critical military and civilian information infrastructure, and humanitarian civic assistance activities.

A Tagalog phrase that means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” Balikatan describes the spirit of the annual exercise and the close friendship between the Philippines and the United States.