Philippines and Japan to hold first joint air force exercises

The exercises will include a Japanese C-130H cargo aircraft and its personnel. - JASDF/FACEBOOK

MANILA (Reuters):The air forces of Japan and the Philippines will hold their first-ever joint exercises next week, Japan's embassy in Manila said on Thursday (July 1), in a further sign of deepening defence ties between the two countries.

The air-to-air bilateral training in humanitarian and disaster relief, which Japan's embassy described as a "significant milestone" for joint defence cooperation, will take place from July 5 to 8 at Clark Air Base, formerly a US military facility in the northern Philippines.