Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the government is committed to improving the country’s air defenses.

Teodoro made this pledge during his visit to the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 5th Fighter Wing at the Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga on Wednesday, shortly after the commemoration program for the Araw ng Kagitingan at Mount Samat in Bataan, DND spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong, said in a news release Thursday.

“He further reaffirmed the commitment of the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to enhance the capabilities of the Integrated Air Defense System, strengthen air domain awareness in joint operations within the AFP, ” he added.

No details were provided on how this would be done for security reasons. Earlier reports said the PAF is beefing up its fighter jet fleet and other air defense platforms as part of the ongoing modernization program.

Andolong said Teodoro also called for “seamless interoperability” in combined operations with allied and like-minded nations.

The defense chief commended the “fighting spirit” of the PAF and thanked the pilots for their dedication to duty amid the inherent risks of their profession.

Teodoro also acknowledged the immense responsibility and skills of Filipino fighter pilots and the courage they need to fly and fight in defense of the Philippine skies.

“What we expect from you (fighter pilots) is to train hard, fly hard, and fight hard. That’s it,” he said. “The rest are things for us to do. To make sure that you are able to train hard, to fight hard, and to fly hard. We cannot afford any slowdown in operational tempo,” he said. (PNA)