15 May 2025
A multinational aeromedical evacuation (AE) team has taken interoperability to new heights during Exercise Balikatan 2025 in the Philippines.
The tri-nation team of Australian, Philippine and United States Air Force critical-care specialists tested integration by simulating real-world patient transfers from point of injury to higher-level care.
Royal Australian Air Force AE Operations Officer Flight Lieutenant Nitin Mukesh said the exercise marked a critical step in strengthening military interoperability.
“The training built on the foundations laid during Balikatan 2024, progressing our ability to conduct integrated missions,” Flight Lieutenant Mukesh said.
“In times of crisis or conflict, we need to be able to trust one another implicitly and execute tasks without delay or confusion.
“Exercises like Balikatan build the muscle memory, interoperability and cohesion necessary to achieve that.”
The scenario involved moving five simulated patients from a forward facility by US V-22 Osprey to the tri-nation AE team for onward transport to a larger surgical care facility at Fort Magsaysay by C-130 Hercules.
Presented with various complex blast and burn injuries, the team provided in-flight care and coordinated the transfer of the casualties to definitive care on arrival.
'In times of crisis or conflict, we need to be able to trust one another implicitly and execute tasks without delay or confusion.'
Flight Lieutenant Mukesh said operating as part of an allied team with coalition aircraft and equipment reinforced the importance of joint training.
“We learnt a great deal about each other’s equipment, clinical practices and evacuation procedures, gaining insights into load planning efficiencies, safety protocols and clinical handover processes,” he said.
“It highlighted how readiness is not just about equipment – it’s about relationships, trust and the ability to communicate and act seamlessly as one team under pressure.”
The activity was not without its challenges, but the team’s shared commitment to patient care helped them navigate differences in training methodologies, experience, culture and language.
Flight Lieutenant Mukesh and the team soon began exchanging ideas on patient management and critical care, gaining a deeper appreciation of each nation’s clinical approaches.
“It was professionally enriching to see how well we adapted to one another and found common ground in patient care,” he said.
“Observing the blending of different medical systems, learning from each other’s strengths and contributing to a shared mission underscored the value of allied health operations.”
Twenty-one RAAF Health personnel from 3 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron, 2 Expeditionary Health Squadron and Health Operational Conversion Unit took part in the exercise.
Exercise Balikatan is the largest annual bilateral training exercise conducted between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US military, with 2025 marking the 40th iteration of the exercise. Australia has participated since 2014.
