American amphibious assault vehicles in action at a previous Balikatan exercise. Reuters file photograph.
A spokesman of the upcoming 32nd iteration of the Philippine-United States Balikatan Exercises, said undetermined number of anti-aircraft High-Mobility Rocket Systems (HIMARs) will be deployed in Palawan.
Captain Celeste Frank Sayson clarified, though, that there would be no live fire exercises at this time of the Himars in Palawan, as this will be done on test basis at Crow Valley in Tarlac.
"Part of the simulated live fire exercises in Crow Valley is the Himars or the missile launcher(s) which is for air protection. It is also an anti-ship warfare, ground warfare asset, so that will be used during the live fire exercises, and only then later on it will be brought to Palawan, although it will not be doing live fire exercises [there]," Sayson told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.
A Himar is similar to P5.6 Shore-Based Missile System (SBMS) that is included in the shopping list of the Philippine Army as part of the Modernization Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
But the government-to-government negotiated project meant for territorial defense that was supposed to be implemented in the First Horizon was suspended for implementation by then Army chief and now retiring AFP chief General Hernando Iriberri as the budget for the project was realigned for helmets, body armors and rifles.
Sayson also hinted he has no idea exactly how many Himars would be deployed in Palawan.
"We would like to make it clear that these exercises have nothing to do with emerging threat scenarios or what is unraveling in the western offshore parts of the country, in the West Philippine Sea," he said.
The war exercises will start on April 4, with 3,773 Filipino soldiers and 4,904 American fighters taking part.
About 80 Australian soldiers will also join "in a very limited participation during the exercises".
"The exercise for this year [is] to enhance maritime law enforcement ... as well as to enhance techniques, tactics and procedures critical to smooth interoperability of our forces," he said.
Military observers are expected from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Japan, South Korea, and Timor Leste.
In the exercises, the two brand new South Korean-made supersonic F-50 Golden Eagle lead-in jet fighters of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will also join US A10 Thunderbolt bombers and transonic British-made Hawk Hunters in aerial maneuvers and interdiction exercises.
Sayson said "the US will be sending out 55 aircraft" during the aerial exercises.
"As for ships, the US will be deploying at least five or more, and the Philippines will also be committing at least two ships, our main battle ships," he said, regarding the maritime interdiction exercises.
http://interaksyon.com/article/125470/ph-balikatan-spokesman-anti-aircraft-system-to-be-deployed-in-palawan
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.