Hawaii Air National Guard and Philippine Air Force bolster air defense interoperability

Hawaii Air National Guard and Philippine Air Force personnel strengthened air defense interoperability during a Ground Radar Air Defense Subject Matter Expert Exchange held Sept. 14–18 at multiple locations across the Philippines.

The engagement centered on ground radar operations, air battle management, intelligence integration and organizational support functions, with training designed to refine skills and how both forces integrate. “The ground radar air defense subject matter expertise is critical because, in holding these exchanges, we ensure our interoperability and our tactics, techniques and procedures are all aligned,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jennie Hale, a 169th Air Defense Squadron command and control battle management operations specialist. “In case we need to integrate and work with the Philippine Air Force, we have that alignment with their similar experts and operators.”

HIANG air defense experts worked alongside Philippine Air Force radar operators, air battle managers, weapons directors and surveillance operators. Practical training and simulated air defense scenarios were conducted at Wallace Air Station, while engagements at Clark Air Base and the Philippine Air Defense Command Center at Villamor Air Base focused on tabletop discussions, coordination and relationship-building.

Planners tailored the team and curriculum after the PAF identified training priorities ahead of the exchange. Instruction covered mission planning and intelligence incorporation, air defense command concepts, radar safety, maintenance practices and organizational structure. Participants also examined how support functions integrate with operational units to meet broader air defense requirements. “This year’s engagement, we hope to build on the air battle manager and operations side of things,” Hale said. “But we also wanted to re-engage with our ground radar expertise, which is why we also brought two radar operators as subject matter experts.”

A key element was integrating intelligence inputs into simulated air defense scenarios, culminating in several exercises that moved the exchange from discussion to hands-on application. On the radar side, Philippine personnel examined HIANG practices involving radar safety, maintenance and the integration of support and operational functions. “I wanted to impart on my Philippine counterparts that integrity and a safety-first mindset are of utmost importance in radar maintenance,” said Senior Master Sgt. Eugene Mariano, 297th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron radar airfield weather systems superintendent. “You cannot operate properly if you cannot operate safely.”

Mariano, a longtime participant in the engagement since 2014 who also works for the Federal Aviation Administration in a civilian capacity, used his final exchange before retirement to emphasize civilian-military coordination in air defense. “I tried to impart the importance of lessening the gap and bridging bureaucracy, strategy and continuity by finalizing agreements with their civilian counterpart agencies,” Mariano said.

The exchange is part of a long-standing partnership between the Hawaii National Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines dating to the early 2000s through the State Partnership Program, managed by the National Guard Bureau. The program pairs state National Guards with partner-nation militaries, security forces and disaster-response organizations to strengthen relationships, build capacity and improve interoperability.

Air defense-focused engagements began in 2013 with academic briefings and professional exchanges before expanding to hands-on simulations in recent years. “For most of the engagements we did mostly academics, briefings,” Hale said. “Starting in 2024, we translated that into hands-on training, and that’s when we started doing simulations with the Philippine Air Force. Now our subject matter expert exchange is no longer just informational. It’s in practice.”

The effort also reinforces professional relationships built over decades of cooperation. Hale noted that Hawaii’s large Filipino-American community provides an added cultural link for some participants, while stressing the partnership extends beyond shared heritage.