US attack planes land in Philippine air base for joint training

Four U.S. attack planes have landed in the Philippines to take part in a joint training with Philippine air force pilots, a U.S. Navy statement said Thursday.

"The first temporary detachment of U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft arrived at Clark Air Base, June 15, for training with Armed Forces of the Philippines FA-50 aircraft pilots," the U.S. Navy Task Force 70 statement said.

The statement said the detachment is composed of four aircraft and about 120 personnel assigned to the Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ 138 expeditionary squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines offered to host the U.S. Air Contingent at Clark Air Base to train with their FA-50 fighter pilots and support units which are located in the base north of Manila, it said.

"The first temporary Air Contingent was comprised of five A-10C Thunderbolt aircraft, three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and approximately 200 personnel deployed from multiple Pacific Air Forces units. The forces deployed to the Philippines for exercise Balikatan and completed their final mission 

source : xinhua