PACAF and Philippine Air Force kickoff Exercise Cope Thunder 25-1 Published April 8, 2025 By 1st Lt Lauren Niemi CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines -- Cope Thunder - Philippines 25-1, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise, is scheduled to begin April 7 with primary flight operations over Luzon, Philippines, and is scheduled to run through April 18. Cope Thunder aims to facilitate bilateral fighter training with the Philippine Air Force, enhancing alliance readiness and combined interoperability among participating forces. The historic exercise will involve roughly 1700 service members from across the joint-combined forces, including USAF, PAF, and for the first time, the U.S. Marine Corps. During this iteration of the exercise, they will operate and support more than 20 aircraft. Originating in the Philippines in 1976, Cope Thunder relocated to Eielson Air Force Base in 1992, later rebranding as Red Flag Alaska. Resuming in the Philippines in 2023, this exercise offers a distinctive platform to integrate forces and enhance interoperability between the Philippine and United States air forces. The USMC’s participation in Cope Thunder will bring new capabilities to critical security operations training. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323 brings the versatility, reliability, and payload capacity of the F/A-18 Hornet to the bilateral exercise. Alongside the exercise, the Philippine Air Force hosted its first-ever International Observer Program, including representatives from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Indonesian Air Force. A testament to strengthening multinational interoperability, IOPs have long been associated with international PACAF-sponsored exercises, increasing tactical understanding among nations without direct participation. Our shared commitments, aligned with the Mutual Defense Treaty, are fundamental to our bilateral defense and security relations. The U.S.-Philippines Alliance supports regional and global security by increasing readiness, strengthening deterrence, and fostering a free and open Indo-Pacific region.