THE United States and the Philippines have revived an air force-to-air force exercise, dubbed “Cope Thunder,” after more than three decades of halt, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said yesterday.
The exercise, which started Monday and will run until May 12, is being held at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, a former US air base, said PAF spokesman Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo.
The revival comes amid the official visit of President Marcos Jr. to the United States, where he and President Joe Biden affirmed the two countries security alliance, and amid regional tension involving China.
Castillo said Cope Thunder is meant to provide the PAF and the US Pacific Air Force an opportunity “to enhance their capabilities and readiness to respond to potential threats in the region.”
She said Cope Thunder involves 160 personnel from the US Pacific Air Force and 400 airmen from different PAF units.
Also being used in the Cope Thunder exercise, she said, are F-16 multi-role fighters of the US Air Force and FA-50 fighters of the PAF, which took part in the recently-concluded “Balikatan,” a large-scale military exercise between the US and Philippine armed forces.
A second Cope Thunder exercise is set for July 2 to 21.
“The original Cope Thunder exercises, which provided regular flight training for US pilots and those of allied nations, were first held in 1976 and continued annually in the Philippines until 1990. CT-Ph 23-1 (Cope Thunder-Philippines 23-1) marks the revival of the bilateral exercise between the two Air Forces after more than three decades,” said Castillo.
The Cope Thunder exercise in 1990 was the last due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 and the subsequent pullout of US forces from the country due to a Senate decision not to extend a military bases agreement with the Americans.
Castillo said a key component of the exercise is the Mission Planning Cell (MPC) which is “responsible for planning and coordinating the integration of different aircraft and the execution of defensive counter air (DCA) and offensive counter air (OCA) operations.”
She said the MPC will be working closely with subject matter experts exchanges (SMEEs) “to ensure that all participating personnel are trained and ready to undertake the mission.”
Castillo said the first week of the exercise will be focused on DCA operations. “These involve the identification, tracking, and interception of enemy aircraft in the vicinity of friendly forces,” said Castillo
Castillo said SMEEs on maintenance and security forces training will be conducted in support of the DCA operations. She said the SMEEs will be providing the participants with “knowledge and skills necessary to maintain their equipment and ensure security in the operational field.”
“Week two will focus on OCA operations, which involve offensive attacks on enemy aircraft and ground targets. These operations require a high degree of coordination and planning, which will be facilitated by the MPC and SMEEs,” she said.
