Representatives from 14 different countries, including the Philippines and Japan, who will be joining the week-long Pacific Airlift Rally (PAR) 2023 formally opened the exercise in a ceremony held at Clark Air Base on Monday.

The commander of Air Mobility Command, Maj. Gen. Joannis Leonardi Dimaano, said the rally embodies cooperation, unity, and shared expertise of the different nations which will greatly contribute to a safer and more secure region as he declared the PAR-23's opening.

He added that the aim of this year's Pacific Airlift Rally is to bolster operational readiness, cultivate interoperability, and foster international cooperation among the participating countries.

A total of 779 participants from the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, as well as their counterparts from Indo-Asia-Pacific Region are set to take part in Flying Training and Table Top Exercises (FTX and TTX), and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) in the following days until the exercise closes on August 18.

Six C-130 cargo planes involved in some exercises are from the PAF, US Air Force (USAF), Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF), Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), and Indonesian Air Force (IDAF). PAF Public Affairs Office