US wraps up Cope Thunder exercises, plans ammunition hub in the Philippines
The United States Air Force (USAF) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) have concluded exercises in Cope Thunder 25-2, a bilateral training operation conducted across multiple locations in the Philippines.
Established in the Philippines in 1976, Cope Thunder aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen the alliance between the US and Philippine air forces. When the US withdrew its forces in the Philippines in 1992, the exercises were moved to Alaska. Cope Thunder returned to the Philippines in 2023.
The most recent Cope Thunder 25-2, which ran from July 7-18, 2025, marked the first time a US Air Force F-35A Lightning II squadron has deployed to the Philippines.
Subject matter expert exchanges also enabled US and Philippine Airmen in similar career fields to share best practices and effective techniques aimed at improving day-to-day operations for both forces.
These exchanges included maintenance, firefighting, airfield operations, electromagnetic warfare and basic fighter maneuvers, with US and Philippine pilots flying side by side.
“We worked closely with the PAF pilots, and it was clear they are professional and highly capable aviators that employ their weapon systems with skill and precision,” said Captain Tobey Fisher, 421st Mission Generation Force Element F-35A instructor pilot. “Additionally, this exercise afforded the 421st MGFE the opportunity to operate at a remote airfield with minimal support.”
Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos, Jr. just concluded a state visit to the US from July 21-23, 2025. During the three-day visit, Marcos, Jr and US President Donald Trump discussed expanding military cooperation amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.
Among the agenda was the proposal to establish an ammunition hub in the Philippines. The hub is planned to be set up in Subic Bay, a former US Naval Base located two hours north of Manila.
The proposed facility would store ammunition stockpiles and “related materials” needed to produce explosives and ammunition.
A Philippine government news agency quoted Trump to have said: “We need ammunition. We’re going to end up in a few months, we’ll have more ammunition than any country has ever had… missiles, the speedy ones, the slow ones, the accurate ones — we have everything.”
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US and Philippine Air Forces band together for ‘Cope Thunder’ bilateral exercise
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The United States Air Force (USAF) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) have concluded exercises in Cope Thunder…
The post US wraps up Cope Thunder exercises, plans ammunition hub in the Philippines appeared first on AeroTime.
