MANILA – Fighter and bomber aircraft from the Philippines and the United States conducted a combined air patrol in the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday.
Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, in a statement Tuesday night, said this activity is part of the ninth multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The PAF deployed three PAF FA-50PH fighter jets for this MMCA while PACAF sent a Rockwell B-1B "Lancer" strategic bomber along with two F-16s "Vipers" and a F-18 multi-role fighter for this mission.
No other details were provided for security reasons.
The B-1B is capable of speeds up to Mach 1.25 and has a crew of four. It has a range of 5,100 nautical miles and could carry a combat load of around 50,000 pounds.
"This cooperative activity aims to strengthen collaboration and enhance interoperability between the AFP and US forces," Castillo said.
With this activity, the PAF reinforces its commitment and operational readiness to support the AFP’s mission in safeguarding the country’s territory and sovereign rights and promote a secure and stable Indo-Pacific Region. (PNA)