The challenge of combining air defence systems to extend coverage and build layered protection brought partner nations together during Exercise Balikatan.
Members of the Australian, Philippine, United States and Japanese defence forces workshopped ways to achieve this vital capability during the four-day Integrated Air and Missile Defence conference at Clark Air Base.
The first three days focused on capability briefs, where each nation outlined its systems, before moving into a scenario defending the Philippine archipelago.
Systems including Australia's national advanced surface-to-air missile system (NASAMS), the US Patriot and Indirect Fire Protection Capability, the Philippines' surface-to-air Python and Derby (SPYDER) and naval systems, and Japan's air defence capabilities were discussed and combined.
The exchange gave ADF personnel a clearer picture of how partner nations operate and where their capabilities align.
Air Surveillance Operator Sergeant Sandy Macleod, of 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit, said the conference improved his understanding of partner capabilities.
"It helped me build on the knowledge that I had and the understanding of the other forces' capabilities and how they operate," he said.
"We've all got different roles, but we've got to work together to make it effective."
The live-fire phase that followed the conference focused on short-range systems from the US and Japan, with a simulation exercise conducted the following week to test command-and-control integration.
'If we can take our resources and combine them, we can build layered defences and cover more than we could alone.'
Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defence Centre representative and former US Air Force member John 'Donkey' Reeves said the exchange allowed operators to solve real-world problems together.
He said the conference focused on building a shared understanding of how different systems and services fit into a combined defence framework.
"We're not here to make policy, this is about operators sitting down and working out how we can help each other," he said.
"The discussions after the presentations are where the real learning happens.
"If we can take our resources and combine them, we can build layered defences and cover more than we could alone."
For the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the conference set the groundwork for how they will approach integrated air and missile defence.
Philippine Air Force officer Lieutenant Colonel Lilibeth Penaflor said the conference supported Exercise Balikatan's broader training objectives.
She said the exchange also helped Philippine forces better understand how partner nations structure and apply their air and missile defence systems.
"This is the theoretical side before we conduct the field training and simulation exercises," Lieutenant Colonel Penaflor said.
"We thank the ADF for the opportunity to take part in this exchange, which allows us to share ideas and strengthen collaboration."
