The U.S. and the Philippines conducted a three-day aerial exercise together last week, with fighters from both nations operating over the strategically vital South China Sea.
The joint drill ran from Nov. 21-23, with two U.S. F-15 Eagles flying alongside two Philippines Air Force FA-50s, a Pacific Air Forces spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine. The aerial exercise was part of a larger” maritime and aerial cooperation activity” between U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, according to a PACAF release.
The South China Sea is a hotly contested region the People’s Republic of China claims sovereignty over much of the heavily-trafficked waters and has used what the U.S. and its allies call “coercive” and “aggressive” behavior to reinforce its claims.
U.S. forces, meanwhile, continue to operate in the region in accordance with international law, even as the Pentagon has noted an uptick in unsafe and unprofessional incidents by Chinese warplanes and ships.
“U.S. forces routinely operate with Allies and partners in defense of the rules-based international order and will continue to do so to maintain peace and stability in the region,” the PACAF release noted. The U.S. and the Philippines which also has claims in the South China Sea have tightened their alliance in recent months. In March, U.S. Air Force F-22s deployed to the Philippines for the first time ever, and in May, the two countries reintroduced the Cope Thunder aerial exercise after a 33-year hiatus.
More recently, on Nov. 6, the two countries marked the completion of the Basa Air Base runway upgrade, a project backed by a $24 million investment from Washington.
The upgraded 8,000-foot runway featuring reinforced pavement can now accommodate larger aircraft, such as cargo planes used by the Philippine Air Force It is expected that runway will also facilitate future U.S. aircraft operations, as part of the countries recently expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
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