The Philippine Navy (PN) announced on Friday that five ships
and three naval aircraft will be participating in the "Balikatan
2016" exercises set next month.
PN spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna told the Philippines News
Agency that the participating naval assets are one Gregorio Del Pilar class
frigate, two landing craft heavies, two logistics support vessels, two
AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" combat utility helicopters and one
Norman Britten Islander aircraft.
Lincuna said these ships and aircraft will be performing
"Balikatan" humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, engineering
civic action programs, amphibious landing operations, search-and-rescue,
maritime surveillance and maritime interdiction exercises.
Opening ceremonies for this year's "Balikatan" are
slated for April 4, followed by several training events throughout the 12-day
duration.
On the other hand, closing ceremonies are scheduled to be
held on April 15, said "Balikatan 2016" spokesperson Capt. Celeste
Frank Sayson.
"Balikatan" is an annual Philippines-United States
military bilateral training exercise that is a signature element of the
Filipino-American alliance focused on a variety of missions, including
humanitarian assistance, maritime law enforcement, and environmental protection.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=867919
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