Filipino pilots to fly Cobras, Black Hawks

Clark Field, Pampanga – For the first time, this year’s Balikatan joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States will have the Americans taking the back seat — literally.

Philippine Air Force pilots from the 5th Strike Wing, based at Maj.Danilo Atienza Air Force Base at Sangley Point in Cavite, will be given a chance today to fly the US military’s Cobra and Black Hawk helicopters. Their American counterparts will act as co-pilots and assist them.

Armed with a nose-mounted Gatling gun and rockets on both sides, Cobras are attack helicopters designed to take out tanks and other ground targets. Black Hawks, on the other hand, are mainly used for ferrying troops.

Col. Danilo Ferrer, chief of the PAF Balikatan events planning, said the exercise will enable Filipino pilots to try their hand at flying US aircraft and improve their skills.

"Before, they were just mere observers," Ferrer said. "The experience would at least give our pilots the skills to fly Cobras and Blackhawks, which would be helpful in case our government decides to purchase such aircraft."

Donated by the US, the Vietnam War-vintage Huey gunship, which can be fitted with machineguns and rockets, has been the workhorse of the Philippine military for decades. Though dependable, they are now obsolete.

Ferrer said Filipino pilots will fly the US choppers from the former Clark US military base to Sangley early today. At Sangley, pilots from the 15th Strike Wing will be given the chance to fly them and become familiar with the aircraft.

The US military has flown in over 30 aircraft – including two Cobras, two Black Hawks, and five F-18 Hornet fighter jets – for the exercises to be held at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac, at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, and at Ternate, Cavite.

Nationalist groups staged a peaceful rally outside Fort Magsaysay protesting the exercises.

Meanwhile, a US navy ship arrived yesterday at Pier 13 in Manila’s South Harbor to join several US Navy vessels already in the country for the Balikatan.

The USS Fort McHenry, a dock landing ship based in Japan, will be here for a week-long visit.

Among the world’s top-of-the-line combat aircraft, F-18s are designed to perform different kinds of missions such as bombing targets on the ground in an offensive or providing troops air support.

There are no plans to allow Filipino pilots to fly F-18s because they don’t have the necessary prior training. The Philippine military’s most modern fighter jets consist of only a few F-5 Freedom Fighters, also obsolete.

Ferrer said the F-18s are expected to hold target practice at Crow Valley in Tarlac using practice bullets and rockets. No live ammunition would be used.

The US air force used to practice bombing runs at Crow Valley until 1992, when the US shut down the former Clark air base and Subic Bay naval base in , Zambales, after the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty extending their existence.

Two military representatives each from Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia and Thailand are expected to arrive to observe the exercises, according to spokeswoman Navy Lt. Mary Nancy Pastor. Australia, Brunei, Japan, Singapore and South Korea were also invited to send observers.

Meanwhile, a US army spokesman said the "US troops are very much aware that we are guests here and should be very careful not to offend (our) hosts."

Unconfirmed reports are circulating at Clark that some of the 1,800 American soldiers have been "inviting" local bar girls from nearby Angeles City to their accommodations at the Monte Vista Hotel at the Mimosa leisure estate.

"They are absolutely aware of the need to display their best behavior and not to cause any hurt in the interests of the US here," said Maj. Kevin Bledsoe.

During the heyday of the US bases, dozens of girlie bars catering to US troops provided much of the night life in Angeles and Subic.

Elsewhere, the US presence elicited mixed reactions from local residents.

Reminiscent of the bases era, residents of Iba, Zambales were briefly interrupted in their business when two fighter jets buzzed overhead at high speed around 10 a.m.

Cora Lucas, a high school teacher, said infants cried after being startled from their sleep. Farmers in barangay Bato-Bato said a herd of carabaos grazing in a field scampered in all directions.

"This is an old, old practice of American pilots who, during their heyday in the country, used to dominate the tranquil Zambales skies," said former governor Amor Deloso.

In the fishing town of San Antonio, local fishermen said they are worried that US aircraft might stage exercises in the area. They are afraid somebody might get hurt or killed in case of an accident.

Meanwhile, as part of the US war against terrorism worldwide, small teams of US special forces troops will train local police on counter-terrorism in select regions across the country.

In Basilan, hundreds of US troops are training Philippine soldiers and assisting them in hunting down the Abu Sayyaf.

The other day, a team of Israeli commandos began training members of the PNP’s elite Special Action Force on anti-terrorist tactics in Clark. — With reports from Bebot Sison Jr., Jaime Laude