U.S. Air Force bombers joined Philippine fighter jets for joint training over the South China Sea amid a simmering territorial dispute with China.
has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry with a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
to Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base during heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and ongoing disputes involving China and two U.S. security treaty allies, Japan and the Philippines.
, with tactics that include ramming, water cannons and blockades.
What To Know
Tuesday’s joint drills involved two B-1B bombers and three of the Philippines’ dozen FA-50s, the country’s main fighter jet and a combat-enhanced variant of the South Korean-made T-50.
The exercises, which took place over the Southeast Asian nation’s maritime zone, were focused on bolstering air domain awareness and coordination between the two air forces, including in combat capabilities, the Philippine Air Force said in a news release.
The U.S. and the Philippines, the oldest American ally in Asia, share a seven-decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty that both the Biden and Trump administrations have called ironclad.
to improve interoperability.
.
What People Are Saying
: “U.S. Air Force B-1Bs and Philippine Air Force FA-50s flew in a joint air patrol and intercept exercise aimed to enhance our operational coordination, refine our tactical and operational strategies together, and maintain our air dominance and regional security in a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
: “By conducting these exercises, both air forces refined their tactical and operational strategies while working to meet shared air defense objectives and operational goals.”
What Happens Next
the Philippines is planning to carry out over the next decade.
spoke with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. According to a news release from the State Department, how to increase defense cooperation was one of the topics they discussed.
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