The Philippines and the United States have launched this year’s Cope Thunder joint military exercise at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Monday, with aircraft from both countries participating in a week-long series of air-to-air combat drills.

Four Philippine FA-50 fighter jets will train alongside 12 American F-16s for one week.

While this is a routine drill, it also gives the Philippine Air Force a close look at the F-16. The aircraft costs P5.5 billion.

“We are not comparing aircraft vs aircraft here,” Maj. Mantis De Villa, a Filipino FA-50 pilot, said.

“We will validate our tactics and some procedures, how we operate... this is in preparation for a much capable fighter aircraft,” he added.

The drills will include air-to-air combat simulations like dogfights and tactical intercepts.

“We're going to be integrating with the FA-50s here, doing variety of air-to-air basic training... and how to safely conduct air intercepts,” Lt. Col. Joshua Plocinski, a U.S. F-16 pilot, said.

Compared to the FA-50, the American F-16s are larger and more powerful, capable of longer missions and more complex operations.

The event also highlighted personal stories of U.S. servicemen with Filipino roots.

“Napakasarap ng pakiramdam na maisuot ang uniform namin sa bansang kinalakihan namin at nakatulong bilang tulay para sa pagsasanay na ito,” Captain Arsenio Mesina III of the U.S. Air Force said.

“Mapapalakas at mapapatibay natin yung samahan ng U.S. at Pilipinas na naitaguyod natin dati pa,” Captain Tim Nolan, also part of the U.S. contingent, said.

Observers from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan also joined the exercises.

The Philippine Air Force gave the green light for the FA-50s to fly in the event, just days after finishing an investigation into a crash involving the same aircraft in Bukidnon last month.