Closing rites of Balikatan 2014. Photographed by Krisken Jones
The armed forces of the United States and the Philippines are all set to conduct the 2015 Balikatan Exercise from the 20th to the 30th this month.
According to Lt. Col. Harold M. Cabunoc, Chief of the Public Affairs Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), this year's Balikatan is the 31st in the series of bilateral exercises based on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
A joint exercise between the governments of the Republic of the Philippines and the United States, Balikatan serves as a venue for joint and combined training between the Philippines and United States militaries for this mutual defense and disaster response. Units from the Australian Defense Forces (ADF) will also take part.
The aim is to affirm a more responsive partnership to the community focusing on development and community service.
The exercise is designed to enhance the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Armed Forces in capability development, not just in the conduct of traditional military training but also with regard to civil military projects focusing on reaching out toward priority communities.
There will be three simultaneous events:
Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) events is the conduct of combined and joint civil-military operations by the AFP, US and Australian Defense Forces (ADF) in selected areas of the Western Command (WESCOM) area of responsibility in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility in Panay Island, to enhance civil-military cooperation in support of the AFP and US objectives.
In the Command Post Exercise (CPX) event, the scenario will focus on Marine Security (MARSEC) with Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) to demonstrate the capability of the AFP National Maneuver Force. Selected US and ADF staff members will form a Joint Liaison Group (JLG) to support the capability development at each staff.
Field Training Exercises (FTX) events. The Field Training Exercise will involve the following units: the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Navy (PN), Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), AFP Special Operations Force (SOF), United States Army (USAR), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy (USN), United States Marine Crops (USMC), and United States SOF (US SOF) will be held in Crow Valley Gunnery Range (CVGR), Tarlac; Basa Air Base (BAB), Floridablanca and Clark Air Base (CAB) Angeles City, both in Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija (FMNE); Marine Base Gregorio Lim (MBGL), Ternate, Cavite; Naval Base Heracleo Alano (NBHA), Sangley Point, Cavite and at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantiouqui (NSLG), San Antonio, Zambales to enhance capacities and improve tactics, techniques and procedures, reinforce relations, and improve interoperability of AFP, US and ADF forces.
Balikatan 2015 will be formally opened on April 20 at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, while the closing ceremony will be at Clark Airbase on April 30.
There will be 5,023 participants from AFP, and 6,656 soldiers will be deployed by the US side for the joint exercises.
AFP will be using 15 of its aircraft, ADF will send one, while the US contingent will be using 76. AFP will also use one of its ships, while the US will use three.
The Balikatan Exercise Director for this year is Vice Admiral Alexander S Lopez, AFP, while Brigadier General Rodolfo B Santiago is the Exercise's Vice Director and also the commandant of AFP Command and General Staff College.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/108303/afp-us-armed-forces-get-set-for-balikatan-april-20---30
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