Cope Thunder
PAF, USAF participate in bilateral military exercise
The engines roared like thunder filling the skies at the Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga on April 8, marking the commencement of the first leg of the Cope Thunder-Philippines 2024 (CT PH 24-1).
Cope Thunder is a bilateral military exercise participated in by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and United States Air Force (USAF). It emphasizes collaborative learning and interoperability between the two air forces as Filipino and American pilots engage in defensive and offensive maneuvers to sharpen their skills and enhance combat readiness.
Major General Fabian Pedregosa, commander of PAF’s Air Defense Command, said the Cope Thunder exercise underscores the “unwavering commitment” of the PAF and its international allies “to enhancing interoperability, strengthening deterrence and defense capabilities, promoting regional security and stability, and bolstering diplomatic ties.”
The exercise takes place at the Northern Luzon Intensive Military Training Area, Basa Air Base, and Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base in Cebu until April 19.
Around 700 personnel from PAF and USAF have been participating in the nearly two-week war game.
“CT PH 24-1 will focus on Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs) and field exercises in air and ground operations, as well as logistics and other mission support planning and execution,” PAF spokesperson Colonel Ma. Consuelo Castillo said.
The PAF utilizes its prized FA-50PH fighter jets while the USAF uses its F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft and C-130J transport aircraft in the exercise.
The second leg of the Cope Thunder exercise is tentatively scheduled in June.
Cope Thunder was revived by the PAF and USAF last year after being shelved for more than three decades.
It began in the Philippines in 1976 but stopped after the closure of military bases in Clark and Subic Bay in 1991 due to the eruption of the nearby Mt. Pinatubo. The following year, the conduct of the exercise was moved to the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska where it was renamed Red Flag Alaska.
Last April 7, a day before the kick off of Cope Thunder, the Philippines, US, Australia, and Japan launched the inaugural multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA), a quad sail participated by its naval ships and aircraft, in the West Philippine Sea.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said that through these interactions with allies, the Philippines is “changing its defense paradigms” by strengthening its own capabilities and leveraging alliances with “like-minded” nations.
He said these activities also build up the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) quicker and equip the military with the necessary capabilities which could help it defend the country’s territory better in case of potential security challenges in the future.