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Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), speaks at the opening ceremony for BALIKATAN.

BALIKATAN served as an excellent opportunity for our armed forces to train and familiarize themselves with the operation of modern equipment and weapons.

Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio
Commander of Philippine forces in
BALIKATAN 2002-02

Also taking part in the opening ceremony were AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone, Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, and U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson, Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force and Commander, U.S. Marine Forces, Japan.

Helicopter Operations

Exercise events included fast-attack helicopter training at Clark Air Base in Tarlac Province for Philippine Air Force (PAF) and U.S. Marine aviators, who wasted little time jumping into the cockpits of U.S. UH-1N Huey and AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters.

"The most important thing here is the ability to be together and the ability to communicate with each other," said PAF Brig. Gen. Dan Francia, Wing Commander, 15th Strike Wing. More important, according to Brig. Gen Francia, was for the two groups to become better trained together so the Philippines can efficiently battle the terrorism plaguing the island nation. "BALIKATAN has always been an exercise as close as possible to the threats to be addressed at present and in the future," he said.

Helicopter training focused on terrain flights, during which helicopters flew no higher than 200 feet (60 meters) above the ground. PAF pilots learned more about the helicopters by flying in them. "We can develop new doctrines based on our experience from flying with those American aircraft," said PAF pilot Lt. Rover Sobrino. "This is the first time I can work in an American helicopter and experience how they do the flying maneuvers."