The Philippine Air Force (PAF) officially kicked off the second round of Cope Thunder exercise with its counterpart from the United States on Tuesday, June 18.
Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, PAF spokesperson, said approximately 1,000 Filipino airmen are participating in the bilateral exercise being held at the Clark Airbase in Mabalacat City, Pampanga alongside their counterparts from the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The participants are to take on subject-matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) on planning and execution of various military missions.
“Cope Thunder aims to promote interoperability of the Armed Forces involved in the exercise in conducting air and ground operations. This ensures smooth collaboration and effective response during real-world scenarios,” Castillo said on Wednesday, June 19.
The first round of the Cope Thunder exercise was held from April 8 to 19. It took place in the Northern Luzon Intensive Military Training Area, Basa Air Base, and Brigadier General Benito N. Ebuen Air Base involving approximately 700 airmen from various PAF units and US Air Force.
The Cope Thunder exercise originated in the Philippines in 1976 and was sponsored by the US Air Force. However, it relocated to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in 1992 and rebranded as Red Flag Alaska.
In 2023, it returned to the Philippines after 31 years and has since offered a distinctive platform to integrate forces and enhance interoperability between the Philippines and United States air forces.