Courtesy Photo | Attendees of the Missile System Officer Executive Seminar pose together for a group...... read more read more
MANILA, Philippines– The Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Center (PIC) commenced its IAMD academic program for Balikatan 40-25 by hosting the Joint Ballistic Missile Defense Training and Education Center (JBTEC) for a formal academic seminar, from April 13-15, 2025. JBTEC instructed their Joint IAMD Air and Missile Defense Course (JIAMDC), along with a Senior Leader Seminar, totaling more than 110 attendees between the two events.
A total of 44 bilateral attendees were present for JIAMDC at the 432nd Technical Training Squadron on Basa Air Base. A majority were junior officers and NCOs getting their initial introduction to IAMD, gaining the baseline knowledge to utilize during the Balikatan 25 execution. The Armed Forces of Philippines service members were from the Air Defense Command (ADC), Philippine Air Defense Control Center (PADCC), 5th Fighter Wing (FW), 580th Airborne Control & Warning Wing (ACWW), 960th Air & Missile Defense Group (AMDG). All but two attendees were from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) with the addition of two Philippine Marines from the 960th AMDG’s Missile System Operator Course (MSOC) attending.
The United States service members attending the JIAMDC were from the 1st Multi Domain Task Force, U.S. Army Pacific and Marine Air Control Group-38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Both units will facilitate crucial Command and Control leadership roles during the CPX and FTX parts of the exercise as the Deputy Area Air Defense Commander (DAADC) and Regional Area Defense Commander (RADC), respectively.
The Capstone event of the three-day course was the Missile System Officer Executive Seminar that was facilitated at Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base. The focus of this event was to stimulate bilateral discussions and share views on strategic-level decision making and delegation of authorities within the IAMD architecture.
The Armed Forces of Philippines Senior Delegates were Maj. Gen. Fernyl G Buca, commander of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM); Maj. Gen. Aristotle D Gonzalez, vice commander of the Philippine Air Force; Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Marquez, chief of air staff for the Philippine Air Force; Maj. Gen. Fabian M Pedregosa, commander Air Defense Command. In total, eight AFP General Officers were in attendance, along with Senior Leaders from the AFP General Headquarters (GHQ) Staff and PAF HQ OA-Staff.
The senior U.S. Member was Col. Edward Evans, the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché. In total, there were 60 attendees from the United States and Philippine forces. Col. Rodolfo Mangaya, the 960 AMDG commander, emphasized that this training is “a vital platform for strengthening partnerships in IAMD,” and the event “was important to provide the knowledge for senior leaders to make important decisions,” during his opening comments.
Mr. Leo Albea, a senior instructor from JBTEC and the keynote speaker, builds on Col Mangaya’s comments by asking, “Who owns the risk?” He continued stating that “the risk and risk management is important to understand and to have enough information for the senior leaders to make decisions and assign appropriate levels of risk.”
Maj Gen. Pedregosa, the ADC commander, provided the closing comments by emphasizing how modern-day challenges make the airmen under his command much busier.
JBTEC also facilitated a US-specific RADC course attended by the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AADC), 1st MDTF and MACG-38. The PIC will round out the academic program with a week-long IAMD Subject Matter Expert Exchange, with warfighters from the U.S., the Philippines, the Japanese Self Air Defense Force (JASDF), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), April 28th - May 2nd, 2025, at the Clark Officer’s Club. These opportunities to exchange knowledge, enhance military cooperation, and build on decades of bilateral training advance the U.S.-Philippine alliance and our shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and security.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 23:17 |
| Story ID: | 496162 |
| Location: | PH |
| Hometown: | MANILA, PH |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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