PH, Japan air forces conclude ‘air-to-air’ bilateral training

MANILA – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) have concluded their four-day bilateral training on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief from July 5 to 8, the Japanese Embassy in Manila said Thursday.

Held at the Clark Air Base, the joint initiative was the first air-to-air bilateral training between the two air forces, marking a significant milestone for the two nations’ defense cooperation.

“Both Japan and the Philippines are vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons due to their climate and topography. Japan is proud to share with the PAF the JASDF’s experience and knowledge on delivery operations of relief goods to people in urgent need,” the Embassy said.

During said exercise, the JASDF deployed a training unit of Air Support Command via a C-130H cargo aircraft and took part in a four-day joint training session.

An in-flight training, however, was canceled in light of the tragic C-130 crash in Sulu that killed dozens of Filipino troops, including civilians.

Thus, the activities were mostly focused on ground training such as load/offload training and simulated emergency procedure utilizing a C-130 aircraft from JASDF.

The Embassy said the initiative is aimed to strengthen interoperability in delivering relief goods in isolated areas in severe emergency situations.

Unit Commander Maj. Mizuno Masaki of the JASDF, for his part, sent his sympathies to the Philippines over the mishap.

“We are deeply saddened by the plane crash in Sulu. We offer our sincerest condolences to all those who lost due to the tragic crash, ” he said.

“Nevertheless, we are still very grateful for the opportunity to visit the Philippines and work with the PAF for the first Air-to-Air bilateral training on HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster response), especially this year which marks 65 years of friendship and 10 years of strategic partnership between our countries. We shared our knowledge and experience through the exercise and achieved a higher level of coordination and operative capabilities on HADR with our Filipino counterparts,” he added.

As a strategic partner to Manila, he said they are satisfied that the bilateral training contributes to further strengthening the cooperation between the two air forces.

Japan also reiterated the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) which is inclusive and based on the rule of law, democratic values, territorial integrity, transparency, and peaceful resolution of disputes, and underscores its intention to work together with the Philippines and other partner countries through a wide range of activities and cooperation for peace, stability, and prosperity in our regions and beyond.

Back in 2013, the JASDF extended assistance to the Philippines in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense and the Japan Self-Defense Forces deployed a total of 1,180 personnel, three vessels, and sixteen aircraft, of which seven were C-130H cargo aircraft for medical assistance and relief supply in affected areas.