The US and Philippine air forces held a conference at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Aug. 29-31 to synchronize air power planning. Philippine Air Force Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Conrado Parra, Jr., a delegation of eight Filipino airmen, Pacific Air Forces Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon as well as 24 PACAF, Marine Forces Pacific, and Hawaii National Guard personnel took part in the fifth-annual talks, according to a PACAF release. US forces recently began deploying rotational air contingents to the Philippines in the wake of China’s military buildup in the South China Sea. “Our goal during these talks is to continue the momentum by strengthening and thickening the relationship between the two air forces by building on the successes of the past with a solid roadmap for the future,” Dillon said, according to the release. (See also: A Numbers Game.)
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…