US Air Force conducts first-ever deployment of F-35 fighter jets in Philippines as response to Chinese naval incursions
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On July 7, 2025, the US Air Force deployed several F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets to Philippine territory for the first time. The arrival of these fifth-generation fighters took place at Clark Air Base in Pampanga as part of the bilateral Cope Thunder Philippines 25-2 aerial combat exercise. The exercise will continue until July 18, 2025, and include flights over Basa Air Base and designated aerial training areas in Northern Luzon. According to official reports, the exercise involves more than 2,500 personnel, including approximately 225 U.S. Pacific Air Forces crew and 2,301 Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel. The deployment coincided with the second phase of Cope Thunder 2025, which resumed Philippine-based training in 2023 after a three-decade hiatus, and was integrated into the Department of the Air Force’s Pacific Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
During the Cope Thunder 25-2 exercise, the F-35A will conduct simulated missions including air superiority and close air support, serving as a visible signal of U.S. presence in the Philippines amid increased Chinese military activity in the region. (Picture source: US Air Force)
Cope Thunder 25-2 incorporated the operational framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty signed between the U.S. and the Philippines in 1951, as well as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), expanded in 2023 to allow U.S. use of nine designated military bases in the country. During this iteration, F-35As operated alongside FA-50PH aircraft of the PAF, conducting joint sorties within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone on the first day of the drills. U.S. aircraft included F-35A, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and support elements such as airlifters and tankers operating from bases in Guam and Misawa. The Philippine contribution included FA-50PH light combat aircraft, A-29 Super Tucano turboprops, AS-211s, and rotary-wing platforms. Sortie types during the exercise featured simulated air superiority missions, suppression of enemy air defenses, aerial refueling, close air support, and electronic warfare scenarios. The exercise included subject-matter expert exchanges on airfield operations and firefighting coordination and emphasized interoperability in realistic combat conditions.
During the Cope Thunder drills, the Philippine Coast Guard announced that it was monitoring the movements of three Chinese vessels, Type 815G reconnaissance ship Tianwangxing (AGI-853), China Coast Guard ship 4203, and Type 052D guided missile destroyer Guilin (164), positioned 69.31 nautical miles west of Cabra Island, within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. According to the PCG, the PLAN warships did not respond to repeated radio challenges. The Chinese activities coincided with the ongoing U.S.–Philippine aerial exercise involving the F-35A and FA-50PH. The PCG emphasized that the presence of foreign military ships within the zone did not conform to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, and national maritime legislation. The Tianwangxing was previously observed during multinational naval drills such as Balikatan 2024 and Talisman Sabre and had operated in maritime zones near India and Australia. The ship is equipped with radars, signal intelligence systems, COMINT, electro-optical directors, and satellite communication equipment, and is estimated to have a displacement between 6,000 and 6,600 tons.
The broader security context surrounding the exercise includes repeated Chinese use of coercive maritime actions against Philippine vessels in disputed areas of the South China Sea. These include water cannon usage, high-powered lasers, ramming incidents, and blockades at locations such as Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command officials have stated that China’s actions have not compelled Southeast Asian states to withdraw from their maritime claims. Instead, these actions have prompted increased alignment between the U.S. and regional partners. The Philippine government, under President Marcos, has maintained that exercises such as Cope Thunder are conducted to enhance national defense capacity and regional security and are not directed at any specific country. The U.S. Department of the Air Force integrated the exercise into its first full-scale DLE since the Cold War, which includes components such as Resolute Force Pacific, Resolute Space, Emerald Warrior, and Mobility Guardian. The series aims to validate distributed operations, supply chain resilience, and joint force interoperability across multiple domains.
Clark Air Base has a longstanding role in U.S.–Philippine military history. Established as Fort Stotsenburg in 1903 and renamed Clark Field in 1919, the installation was one of the largest overseas air bases used by the U.S. during the Cold War. It played a key role in the Pacific theater during World War II, including sustaining severe damage during Japanese air raids in December 1941. After the war, it became a logistical hub for transient flights across Asia. The base was handed over to the Philippines following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and the Philippine Senate’s decision not to renew the U.S. base agreement. Since then, Clark has been transformed into a dual-use facility. It now hosts the Philippine Air Force’s 710th Special Operations Wing and remains an operational hub for joint exercises such as Balikatan and Cope Thunder. U.S. military aircraft, including A-10s and HH-60s, continue to operate from the base during multilateral training events.
The F-35A Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole combat aircraft designed for conventional takeoff and landing. Its low radar cross-section is supported by composite materials and internal weapons bays, allowing it to engage targets while reducing exposure. The aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine producing roughly 177 kilonewtons of thrust, enabling a top speed of Mach 1.6 and a service ceiling of 15,240 meters. It can sustain up to 9 g and has an effective combat radius of around 1,240 kilometers in interdiction roles. The aircraft carries a variety of munitions, including AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X, GBU-31 JDAMs, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, and a 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon. Its sensor suite includes the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and tactical data links enabling real-time sharing of information with joint and allied platforms.
U.S. officials stated that the deployment of F-35As to the Philippines aligned with broader goals to reinforce deterrence and operational responsiveness under Agile Combat Employment principles. According to Lt. Col. Bryan Mussler, the deployment of advanced aircraft was designed to build integration capacity with regional allies and ensure readiness in the face of potential regional threats. Analysts such as Tian Xia and Arnaud Leveau interpreted the deployment as a move to test forward basing strategies and expand Philippine participation in contingency planning, particularly in scenarios involving Taiwan and the South China Sea. The Philippines lies near the Luzon Strait, a key maritime chokepoint that could factor into future regional conflicts. While some observers noted that increased U.S. military deployments may raise the strategic risk of retaliation from China, the Philippine government has continued to emphasize its sovereignty and defense modernization efforts, including participation in joint drills and equipment procurement through U.S. foreign military sales.
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On July 7, 2025, the US Air Force deployed several F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets to Philippine territory for the first time. The arrival of these fifth-generation fighters took place at Clark Air Base in Pampanga as part of the bilateral Cope Thunder Philippines 25-2 aerial combat exercise. The exercise will continue until July 18, 2025, and include flights over Basa Air Base and designated aerial training areas in Northern Luzon. According to official reports, the exercise involves more than 2,500 personnel, including approximately 225 U.S. Pacific Air Forces crew and 2,301 Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel. The deployment coincided with the second phase of Cope Thunder 2025, which resumed Philippine-based training in 2023 after a three-decade hiatus, and was integrated into the Department of the Air Force’s Pacific Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
During the Cope Thunder 25-2 exercise, the F-35A will conduct simulated missions including air superiority and close air support, serving as a visible signal of U.S. presence in the Philippines amid increased Chinese military activity in the region. (Picture source: US Air Force)
Cope Thunder 25-2 incorporated the operational framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty signed between the U.S. and the Philippines in 1951, as well as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), expanded in 2023 to allow U.S. use of nine designated military bases in the country. During this iteration, F-35As operated alongside FA-50PH aircraft of the PAF, conducting joint sorties within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone on the first day of the drills. U.S. aircraft included F-35A, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and support elements such as airlifters and tankers operating from bases in Guam and Misawa. The Philippine contribution included FA-50PH light combat aircraft, A-29 Super Tucano turboprops, AS-211s, and rotary-wing platforms. Sortie types during the exercise featured simulated air superiority missions, suppression of enemy air defenses, aerial refueling, close air support, and electronic warfare scenarios. The exercise included subject-matter expert exchanges on airfield operations and firefighting coordination and emphasized interoperability in realistic combat conditions.
During the Cope Thunder drills, the Philippine Coast Guard announced that it was monitoring the movements of three Chinese vessels, Type 815G reconnaissance ship Tianwangxing (AGI-853), China Coast Guard ship 4203, and Type 052D guided missile destroyer Guilin (164), positioned 69.31 nautical miles west of Cabra Island, within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. According to the PCG, the PLAN warships did not respond to repeated radio challenges. The Chinese activities coincided with the ongoing U.S.–Philippine aerial exercise involving the F-35A and FA-50PH. The PCG emphasized that the presence of foreign military ships within the zone did not conform to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, and national maritime legislation. The Tianwangxing was previously observed during multinational naval drills such as Balikatan 2024 and Talisman Sabre and had operated in maritime zones near India and Australia. The ship is equipped with radars, signal intelligence systems, COMINT, electro-optical directors, and satellite communication equipment, and is estimated to have a displacement between 6,000 and 6,600 tons.
The broader security context surrounding the exercise includes repeated Chinese use of coercive maritime actions against Philippine vessels in disputed areas of the South China Sea. These include water cannon usage, high-powered lasers, ramming incidents, and blockades at locations such as Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command officials have stated that China’s actions have not compelled Southeast Asian states to withdraw from their maritime claims. Instead, these actions have prompted increased alignment between the U.S. and regional partners. The Philippine government, under President Marcos, has maintained that exercises such as Cope Thunder are conducted to enhance national defense capacity and regional security and are not directed at any specific country. The U.S. Department of the Air Force integrated the exercise into its first full-scale DLE since the Cold War, which includes components such as Resolute Force Pacific, Resolute Space, Emerald Warrior, and Mobility Guardian. The series aims to validate distributed operations, supply chain resilience, and joint force interoperability across multiple domains.
Clark Air Base has a longstanding role in U.S.–Philippine military history. Established as Fort Stotsenburg in 1903 and renamed Clark Field in 1919, the installation was one of the largest overseas air bases used by the U.S. during the Cold War. It played a key role in the Pacific theater during World War II, including sustaining severe damage during Japanese air raids in December 1941. After the war, it became a logistical hub for transient flights across Asia. The base was handed over to the Philippines following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and the Philippine Senate’s decision not to renew the U.S. base agreement. Since then, Clark has been transformed into a dual-use facility. It now hosts the Philippine Air Force’s 710th Special Operations Wing and remains an operational hub for joint exercises such as Balikatan and Cope Thunder. U.S. military aircraft, including A-10s and HH-60s, continue to operate from the base during multilateral training events.
The F-35A Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole combat aircraft designed for conventional takeoff and landing. Its low radar cross-section is supported by composite materials and internal weapons bays, allowing it to engage targets while reducing exposure. The aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine producing roughly 177 kilonewtons of thrust, enabling a top speed of Mach 1.6 and a service ceiling of 15,240 meters. It can sustain up to 9 g and has an effective combat radius of around 1,240 kilometers in interdiction roles. The aircraft carries a variety of munitions, including AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X, GBU-31 JDAMs, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, and a 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon. Its sensor suite includes the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and tactical data links enabling real-time sharing of information with joint and allied platforms.
U.S. officials stated that the deployment of F-35As to the Philippines aligned with broader goals to reinforce deterrence and operational responsiveness under Agile Combat Employment principles. According to Lt. Col. Bryan Mussler, the deployment of advanced aircraft was designed to build integration capacity with regional allies and ensure readiness in the face of potential regional threats. Analysts such as Tian Xia and Arnaud Leveau interpreted the deployment as a move to test forward basing strategies and expand Philippine participation in contingency planning, particularly in scenarios involving Taiwan and the South China Sea. The Philippines lies near the Luzon Strait, a key maritime chokepoint that could factor into future regional conflicts. While some observers noted that increased U.S. military deployments may raise the strategic risk of retaliation from China, the Philippine government has continued to emphasize its sovereignty and defense modernization efforts, including participation in joint drills and equipment procurement through U.S. foreign military sales.
