By: CAPT GIOVANNI CARLO J BACORDO PN(GSC)
Acting Director, Naval Public Affairs Office
The Philippine Navy (PN) gears up for Balikatan Exercise 2011 slated on 05-15 April 2011 in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog areas. The PN’s Sailors and Marines will be meeting with their US counterparts in a series of drills, both on land and at sea, aimed at promoting interoperability between the two armed forces.
The PN’s air and surface assets manned by sailors and aviators will see action in a series of maneuvers and evolutions at sea, while PN SEALs will be involved in Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercises. Meanwhile, the Philippine Marines will be trained in amphibious landing/raid with their US counterparts. Fleet-Marine officers will also be involved in the Rapid Response Planning Process (R2P2) aboard a US Navy ship while enroute from South Harbor, Manila to Subic Bay. These activities give the PN’s Fleet-Marine doctrine a big boost, a concept adopted by the PN in carrying out its operations.
Through the series of drills and subject matter expert exchanges between the two forces, the Balikatan Exercise provides PN Sailors and Marines new skills and proficiency in handling new weapons and equipment. With the PN’s quest to modernize, the leadership has set its sight on enhancing the PN’s capability through the acquisition of new assets and equipment. This year, the PN will be acquiring a Hamilton-class vessel from the US Coast Guard to boost its capability in patrolling the country’s vast territorial waters.
In his assumption as the new Navy Chief in January, RADM Alexander P Pama vowed to work on the acquisition of important naval hardware such as the MRV, off-shore patrol vessels, multi-purpose helicopters and amphibious assault vessels and other equipment. In line with this, he stressed the need to develop the Navy’s human resources, knowledge base and skill sets to “ensure the optimization of the potential and utility of our capabilities aimed at achieving Naval Dominance in All Mission Areas and the goals of the PN Sail Plan 2020”.
Aside from the drills and professional exchanges between the two armed forces, the Philippines and the US will also field in military doctors, nurses, and other medical workers to conduct free medical and dental services to local residents in the Exercise venues. Likewise, military engineers will also be involved in construction projects during the Balikatan.
Posted: Mar-27-2011
Philippine Navy
