US, PH conducting gas, oil platform recovery raid in WPS

From Update.Ph (Apr 9): US, PH conducting gas, oil platform recovery raid in WPS

Filipino and American troops are scheduled to conduct a simulated gas and oil platform recovery raid in West Philippine Sea this coming week as part of Balikatan 2016. This training event will be observed by United State Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

“I will also see some of this firsthand at Exercise Balikatan 2016, our premier exercise with the Philippines,” Carter said in New York at the Council on Foreign Relations April 8.

“Balikatan is going on right now, and it includes over 7,000 personnel from every military service in both countries, dozens of American aircraft, vehicles, and vessels, including one of our aircraft carriers, and several important components, including a simulated gas and oil platform recovery raid in the South China Sea,” he added.

“Balikatan signals shared resolve. It enhances our shared capabilities. And it
demonstrates, once again, America’s dedication to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Philippines,” he said.

As previously reported, Carter is also set to observe the firing of HIMARS on April 14 at Crow Valley in Tarlac.

“He’s very interested in, what I mentioned earlier about the high mobility rocket system and how that works and he’s also [going to] spend some time out at sea with the US Navy ships that’s gonna be out there and so and I believe that really his main purpose here is to come and reaffirm that the relationship that we have with the Philippines is rock solid, and we’re side-by-side,” Balikatan US-Exercise Director Lieutenant General John Toolan said during the opening of Balikatan April 4.

http://www.update.ph/2016/04/us-ph-conducting-gas-oil-platform-recovery-raid-in-wps/4099