Philippines, US launch joint drills aimed at ‘deterrence’

MANILA: The Philippine and US air forces kicked off joint exercises on Monday aimed at boosting operational coordination and enhancing “strategic deterrence”, Manila´s military said.

The drills follow months of confrontations between Bejing and Manila over disputed areas of the South China Sea, with significantly larger US-Philippine air, land and sea exercises set for late April.

“Enhancing combat readiness and elevating joint mission effectiveness” would be central to the Cope Thunder exercise, Philippine Air Force commander Arthur Cordura said on Monday at a ceremony to launch the drills.

Military ties between the Philippines and United States have deepened since the 2022 election of President Ferdinand Marcos, with Manila pushing back on sweeping Chinese claims in the South China Sea that an international tribunal has ruled are without merit.

The US State Department last week approved a long-mooted sale of F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, though Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase”.

Speaking at Monday´s ceremony, US Major General Christopher Sheppard said that “the pace of our alliance is accelerating”.

Cope Thunder, which will continue through April 18, aims to enhance “asymmetric warfare capabilities”, operational coordination and strategic deterrence, according to the Philippine Air Force. “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 added.