PAF: Balikatan 2024 helped in preps for 1st int’l exercise participation
THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) said Sunday that the recently concluded joint military exercise between the Philippines and the United States has helped them prepare for the country’s first ever deployment of aircraft and personnel to an international military exercise.
PAF spokesperson Colonel Maria Consuelo Castillo said that during the Balikatan exercise held from April 22 to May 10, one of the exercises they did was preparing for large force deployments to other countries.
“Itong mga nangyaring large force deployment exercise, naging preparation itosa participation natin for the first time for Pitch Black exercises, kung saan magpapadala tayo for the first time for an international military exercise ng atingmga FA-50 aircraft,” she said in a Super RadyodzBB interview.
(This large force deployment exercise was preparation for our first ever participation in the Pitch Black exercises, where we will also send for the first time FA-50 aircraft to an international military exercise.)
Delivered from 2015 to 2017, the South Korean KAI FA-50PH Golden Eagle is the PAF’s primary jet combat aircraft. The PAF currently has 12 in its inventory and serves as both jet lead-in trainers and the light combat role.
“Ready na ready na tayong mag-deploy ng ating puwersa kapag merong international military exercises,” she added.
(We are ready now to deploy our forces when there are international military exercises.)
Castillo said that PAF personnel also learned a lot from the Balikatan exercise in terms of deploying air assets, as well as doing operations on the ground.
“Napakalaking development natin ‘to sa capability natin na makapag-participate po tayo sa mga sa ganitong malalaking exercises sa labas ng bansa,” she said.
(This is a big development in our capability, for us to be able to participate in these large exercises outside the country.)
It was last month when PAF announced that four to six aircraft and around 150 personnel will be deployed as the country's first ever contingent to Exercise Pitch Black in Australia.
During the previous iterations of Pitch Black, Castillo said the PAF deployed personnel to participate as observers only.
Exercise Pitch Black is a biennial "multinational large force employment exercise" that takes place over three weeks. This year, the exercise is expected to be held around July to August.