One of the world’s most advanced airborne electronic attack platform, the US Navy’s EA-18G Growler arrived in the Philippines particularly in the Clark Air Base to train the country’s most modern and elite pilots of the Philippine Air Force FA-50 Fighter Jets. The training by the US servicemen with the Filipino pilots was confirmed to the media both by the Philippine government and US Embassy in Manila.
In a statement released by the United States Embassy in the Philippines, the Gowler aircraft of the US Navy will support routine operational missions that enhance regional maritime domain awareness asidefrom the bilateral training missions with the Philippine Air Force pilots.
Based upon the announcement of the US embassy the detachment of US Navy in Clark Air Base is composed of four aircraft and approximately 120 personnel originally assigned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington.
The US Embassy noted that the training of Philippine military is part of the US and Philippines Mutual Defense Board Activities agreed upon by the government as part of the maritime domain awareness and the promotion of interoperability between the two armed forces, the US embassy said.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on their part stated that the Clark Air Base, home of FA-50, together with its pilots in training offered to host the US contingent visiting the Philippines. The FA-50’s Fighter Jets is the country’s most modern aircraft so far in the list of the Philippines air assets so far.
The joint training of FA-50’s elite pilots and the US Navy’s Growler pilots gives the Armed Forces of the Philippines an opportunity to train with US servicemen on Command, Control, Communications, Computers Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance,” the US embassy said.