Building strong ties with AsiaPacific air forces is a major tenet of the United States Pacific Air Forces' (PACAF) strategy in the Pacific. One of the most effective tools in shaping such ties is the sharing of air power philosophies among the region's air forces.

The 1996 Pacific Air Chiefs Conference held in Hawaii and Alaska provided that opportunity. Ten of the AsiaPacific's top air force commanders gathered 1822 May 1996 for discussions on everything from air doctrine to night vision goggles.

The heads of nine AsiaPacific nations' air forces took part. They included: Air Marshal Les B. Fisher, Australia; Air Vice Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Bangladesh; Maj. Gen. Norodom Vatvani, Cambodia; Air Marshal Sutria Tubagus, Indonesia; Gen. Koji Muraki, Japan; Brig. Gen. Choijamtsyn Ulaanhuu, Mongolia; Air ViceMarshal Carey W. Adamson, New Zealand; Air Chief Marshal Muhammad Abbas Khattak, Pakistan; and Brig. Gen. Goh YongSiang, Singapore.

PACAF Commander and conference host Gen. John G. Lorber said, "Our talks brought to life what each participating air force has to offer in terms of capability and interoperability. It was truly a solid step in furthering cooperative engagement in the region."

The conference's official discussions began at Headquarters PACAF, Hickam Air Force Base (AFB), Hawaii. A look at the foundation of air power - air doctrine - was first on the agenda. The second day, attendees learned of two PACAF initiatives which could integrate their forces into a pair of training events: the Pacific Forces Airlift Rally and Cooperative COPE THUNDER.

Pacific Forces Airlift Rally, a multinational event, will enable Pacific nations to demonstrate airlift capabilities, exchange operational procedures, and promote cooperation in a noncompetitive environment. The first rally is scheduled for spring 1997 at Andersen AFB, Guam, and will feature a look at the latest C130 software and hardware. Additionally, participants will be encouraged to brief their nations' use of airlift. The event's flying activities will be chosen by its participants, Col. Lyons, PACAF's Air Operations Chief, told the air chiefs. In other words, any flying events that participants wish to demonstrate, or have demonstrated to them, will become part of the event's flying schedule. Nations agreeing to participate in the 1997 Airlift Rally include Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Cooperative COPE THUNDER is an effort to bring more AsiaPacific air forces into one of the USAF's top training environments. COPE THUNDER air exercises are held four times annually at Eielson AFB, Alaska. Cooperative COPE THUNDER aims to strengthen ties between air forces in the region and to enhance multilateral interoperability. The plan is to have small fighter packages of perhaps four to six aircraft deploy to Alaska from participating nations. PACAF is researching the possibility for providing en route airtoair fueling support by USAF KC135 tanker aircraft. The fuel would be provided atcost and could, by 1998, bring down the "tyranny of distance" barrier that currently keeps some air forces away. Forces from Canada, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom have taken part in COPE THUNDER since 1991. Australia, Bangladesh, France, India, Indonesia, Korea, and Malaysia have sent observers.

The AsiaPacific air chiefs then flew to Alaska to look at the 3rd Wing, 11th Air Force, and be briefed on Alaskan Command missions, at Elmendorf AFB. The group also traveled to Eielson AFB where they received a close-up look at COPE THUNDER capabilities. This included a mission brief, tour of facilities, and a demonstration of the Yukon Measurement Debriefing System (YMDS). YMDS tracks and records nearly every mission aspect and enables pilots to watch an electronic version of their battles after each mission. The grand finale was an air power demonstration on Eielson's Yukon Range, involving an F15C Eagle, F15E Strike Eagle, F16 Falcon, A10 Thunderbolt II, and a C130 Hercules. The aircraft flew an integrated package in suppressing enemy defenses, performing closeair support for troops, and dropping ground forces.

Demonstrating air doctrine in action was an appropriate finale for this year's Pacific Air Chiefs Conference. "I believe talking about issues like air doctrine and COPE THUNDER, then seeing them in action, is a convincing approach to building cooperative engagement. We have certainly fulfilled the goal of this conference by demonstrating PACAF's commitment to build ties with our AsiaPacific neighbors," Gen. Lorber concluded.