DARWIN, Australia ¨C The Philippines Air Force arrived in northern Australia on Wednesday on its first overseas deployment in six decades for combat practice alongside U.S. and Australian fighter jets, amid a rise in tensions with China in the South China Sea.
Four Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and 162 personnel are taking part in the Pitch Black war games over Australia¡¯s largely unpopulated Northern Territory, involving 20 countries and 140 aircraft.
¡°This is the first time they have taken their combat aircraft abroad since 1963, so it is a huge honor for Australia to be chosen as the first location for the deployment,¡± said Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Commodore Pete Robinson.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.