Territorial defense to be given emphasis on this year's Balikatan

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 19): Territorial defense to be given emphasis on this year's Balikatan

This year's Balikatan will be vastly different as territorial defense will be given focused by participating military forces.

This was stressed by Lt. Col. Marlowe Patria, Philippine Balikatan public information officer, Sunday.

This is to ensure that the country's military forces has the capability to defend itself aside from helping in disaster response and community development.

"(This year's Balikatan) will be quite different as it will be focus on territorial defense aside from disaster response and community development," he added.

Patria also stressed that the decision to include territorial defense is not aimed at any nation particular, adding that the overall goal is to ensure that the AFP will able to enhance its capability to protect the country from any threat.

The annual exercise will take place as China continues to construct facilities in disputed portions of the West Philippine Sea.

Balikatan 2015 will start this April 20 and will be terminated on the 30th.

Aside from boosting the territorial, disaster, and community capabilities of the AFP and participating American and Australian forces, the annual exercise also seeks to improve the interoperability and teamwork of the participating nations.

Patria also attributes the high number of participants, placed at over to 11,740 military personnel, to the fact that the exercises are all scenario driven especially on disaster response as it involves establishment of evacuation centers and transport of affected families there.

This can be broken down into 6,656 personnel from the US, 5,023 from the AFP and 61 from the Australian Defense Forces.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=754221