The Philippine and US air forces yesterday commenced joint exercises aimed at boosting operational coordination and enhancing “strategic deterrence,” the Philippine military said.
The drills follow months of confrontations between Beijing and Manila over disputed areas of the South China Sea, with significantly larger US-Philippine air, land and sea exercises set for later this month.
“Enhancing combat readiness and elevating joint mission effectiveness” would be central to the Cope Thunder exercise, Philippine Air Force Commander Arthur Cordura said at a ceremony to launch the drills.
Photo: AFP
Military ties between Manila and Washington have deepened since the 2022 election of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pushing back on sweeping Chinese claims in the South China Sea that an international tribunal has ruled are without merit.
The US Department of State last week approved a long-mooted sale of F-16 jets to the Philippines, although Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase.”
Speaking at yesterday’s ceremony, US Major General Christopher Sheppard said that “the pace of our alliance is accelerating.”
Cope Thunder, which is to continue through Friday next week, aims to enhance “asymmetric warfare capabilities,” operational coordination and strategic deterrence, the Philippine Air Force said.
“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 said.
Like the majority of Balikatan’s planned activities, Cope Thunder is to be conducted on northern Luzon island, the area of the Philippines closest to Taiwan.
As China encircled Taiwan with planes and ships in a simulated blockade last week, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr warned troops that their nation would “inevitably” be involved should Taiwan be invaded.
Manila later said that Brawner’s comments were primarily referencing efforts to retrieve Filipino workers from Taiwan.
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