War games end; US may use PH naval base off disputed sea

From the Manila Standard Today (May 16): War games end; US may use PH naval base off disputed sea

THE Philippines is offering a Philippine Navy base at Oyster Bay in Palawan as one of the bases where United States forces can build military facilities and station troops as part of the recently signed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista announced the offer at the end of 10 days of annual war games, called Balikatan 2014, that involved 5,500 troops and this year addressing security issues in the South China Sea.

Bautista said the naval base at Oyster Bay is the headquarters of the Naval Forces West and is the only PN facility facing the West Philippine Sea and only 160 km (100 miles) from the Spratly Islands.

Last day. A Philippine Huey helicopter lands
at the command post before live drills on the last
day of the annual US-Philippine joint military
exercises at the former US target range in Crow
Valley in Capas, Tarlac, while a US FA-18 fighter
jet (below) executes a low pass next to a mountain
in the same area. Below is a map of Oyster Bay
in Palawan. AFP

“We have a base there, but the facilities are not that good yet,” Bautista said.

“For example, we need to improve the pier, we need to improve living facilities and support facilities.”

“We have allocated funding for that, but that may not be enough if we want to develop it to as a real base for our navy or bilateral exercises,” Bautista added.

The military chief said the defense department has embarked on an enhancement project at Oyster Bay, costing more than P300 million, including the construction of additional dockyard and support facilities, road link to its existing pier.

Bautista underscored the need to improve Oyster Bay not only to accommodate training activities but also Philippine ships and vessels.

Oyster Bay is located at the western coast of Puerto Princesa City at a gulf called Ulugan Bay. It has deep waters ideal for large ships and lush jungles appropriate for jungle training.

“Oyster Bay is still underdeveloped but we need to improve it for our armed forces,” Bautista said in a television interview on Wednesday. “Perhaps with the EDCA that can be facilitated and further improvement in Oyster Bay will be made.”

“We need to improve the facilities and perhaps make it more habitable with a real barracks and life support, like water, for troops,” he added.

Military plans for the area also include the installation of radar systems in strategic areas in Palawan which will allow the military to monitor developments in the disputed areas of the Spratlys in real time.

Bautista said allowing US forces access to Oyster Bay would be of strategic importance for the military facing because of its proximity to disputer areas in the West Philippine Sea.

“It is important for us because we have access to the disputed areas. It is easier for us to support our patrols in the West Philippine Sea and it allows us to address the issues and threats in the West Philippine Sea,” Bautista stressed.

He said American use of Philippine military camps and bases will eventually result in developing older facilities, like airports and docks, to accommodate larger military aircraft and naval vessels.

Aside from Oyster Bay, Bautitsa said the military will also offer Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and the naval base in San Miguel, Zambales.

Meanwhile, in Tarlac province, US aircraft dropped bombs and marines tore forward under artillery fire in war games in the Philippines on Thursday.

The live rounds made a dull thud and kicked up dust as they rained down on a dry riverbed in the northern Philippines at the start of the hour-long maneuvers, involving about 100 American and 200 Filipino marines.

“We’re training to take over a key enemy position,” US Marines spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jay de la Rosa told AFP from a nearby ridge observation point, as F/A-18 and A-10 aircraft unloaded their payloads.

Artillery shells also poured down from nearby hilltops before V-22 Osprey aircraft and conventional military helicopters made paratroop drops of marines on the simulated battlefield, later joined by colleagues aboard armoured vehicles.

“It’s a maritime security scenario,” Filipino Navy Captain Annaleah Cazcarro said. “We don’t have a target country.”

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/05/16/war-games-end-us-may-use-ph-naval-base-off-disputed-sea/