Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. sees the tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) spilling over the country’s skies, as what happened during the latest incident in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) last week, and he is making sure that it would not lead to another gruesome injury or worse – death – of a Filipino pilot.
As such, the defense chief puts primary importance on honing the skills of Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel through regular joint and combined exercises with “like-minded” nations.
“And now, the challenge for you is we need to sustain these kinds of operations. We have to make this the new normal. Year in, year out, more joint and combined exercises with like-minded partners,” said Teodoro during the welcoming ceremony for the PAF contingent that participated in the Exercise “Pitch Black” 2024 in Australia on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
The Pitch Black is a biennial exercise first established in 1988 which focuses on large force employment missions involving large numbers of international aircraft.
It is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the Northern Territory and this year’s drills were held from July 12 to Aug. 2 with approximately 4,400 participating servicemen and 140 aircraft from 20 nations, making it a key event in international air combat training.
For the first time in the exercise’s history, the Philippines joined the prestigious exercise with both aircraft and personnel as it deployed four FA-50PH Fighting Eagle jets along with 162 PAF members.
The PAF contingent flew a total of 144 hours and 46 minutes across 61 sorties, participating in various high-intensity missions including Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM), Tactical Intercepts (TI), Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics (DACT), and Large Force Employment (LFE) missions.
These missions focused on key operations such as air interdiction, suppression of enemy air defense, and both defensive and offensive counter-air roles.
Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), underscored that the experience and knowledge gained by the PAF pilots from the exercise will be instrumental in the continued development of the AFP’s operational readiness and strategic defense initiatives.
"Our involvement in this multinational exercise is a testament to our commitment to elevating our air combat capabilities and aligning with global standards. It also reflects our dedication to being a reliable partner in ensuring peace and security not only within our region but also on a global scale," said Brawner who joined Teodoro, PAF Commanding General Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreño and Australian Ambassador Hae Kyong Yu in commending the PAF contingent during the ceremony.
The DND and AFP agreed that the learned skills and best practices of the PAF contingent would be instrumental in resisting aerial threats, particularly in the WPS.
Last Aug. 8, two Chinese air force multi-role fighters executed dangerous maneuvers and dropped flares on the path of a PAF aircraft during a routine patrol over Bajo de Masinloc.
This occurred a month after the Philippines and China agreed to deescalate the tension in the WPS during a bilateral consultative mechanism (BCM) meeting on July 2. The meeting was an off-shoot of the violent June 17 resupply mission in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal where a Filipino sailor lost his thumb due to an intentional high-speed ramming incident by the China Coast Guard.
“As we continue to modernize our forces, participating in exercises like Pitch Black enables us to refine our tactics, enhance our interoperability with international forces, and fortify our role as a key player in upholding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Brawner noted.
To complement the skills upgrading of the air force personnel, Teodoro added that the DND is also doing its part to modernize the fleet of the PAF through the acquisition of new generation multi-role fighter aircraft.