US willing to share military equipment with PHL --- American general

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 14): US willing to share military equipment with PHL --- American general

Since the US and the Philippines are key military allies in the Pacific Region, a ranking American military official expressed willingness to share his country's sophisticated weapons.

"You know the truth to the matter is that we are allies and so you know as allies we need to work together and i think that we'll be more happy than happy to share," US "Balikatan" exercise director Lt. Gen. John Toolan said.

However, he did not disclosed what weapons the US military is willing to share with its Filipino allies.

In Thursday's live-fire exercise at Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac, Philippine "Balikatan" exercise director Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez expressed his admiration of the US HIMARS weapons system.

HIMARS is short for the "M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System".

It is a US light multiple rocket launcher mounted on a standard Army medium tactical vehicle truck frame.

Around six HIMARS practice rockets were fired during Thursday's live-fire exercises which also demonstrated the American's M-777 towed 155mm howitzers.

It is the second time HIMARS was fired in Crow Valley, with the first being on April 4 where six reduced-range practice rockets were fired.

"Well you have seen the capability of the HIMARS, we need this kind of capability you know so that we can raise the skills and the respect for your Armed Forces, not only for the Philippines but within our region," Lopez said.

HIMARS can engage targets up to 300 kilometers and estimated to cost around USD5 million per platform.

"Now because we have seen it I know the military (authorities) would like to have a good look at it and maybe a better consideration coming up with one, we have seen the capability, highly mobile, lethal so I think that's one of the capability that we want to have," Lopez concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=876520