Joint sea exercises for PH, foreign ships before RIMPAC

From Malaya Business Insight (Jun 25): Joint sea exercises for PH, foreign ships before RIMPAC

TWO Philippine Navy ships yesterday participated in maneuvering and communication exercises with American, Japanese, Indian and Singaporean ships in the Pacific Ocean.

Navy spokesman Cdr. Jonathan Zata said frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio and landing dock BRP Davao del Sur linked up with US Navy destroyer USS William P. Lawrence, Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Ise, Indian multi-purpose frigate INS Sahyadri and Singaporean frigate Tenacious at the Johnston Atoll, about 750 nautical miles west of Hawaii.

The six ships were en route to Hawaii to join the Rim of the Pacific or RIMPAC, the largest international maritime drill which will formally open this week.
BRPs Andres Bonifacio and Davao del Sur, with an AW-109 helicopter on board, and 700 officers and men were sent off from Cebu City to Hawaii on June 6 for the country’s first ever actual participation in RIMPAC.

The Philippine Navy has been sending small contingents of sailors as observers over the past three RIMPAC exercises. RIMPAC is held once every two years and involves dozens of navies from around the globe.

The Philippine Navy’s participation in RIMPAC is a milestone “to build and enhance relationship with other participating navies.”

“With the vigorous support from the government and its stakeholders through the modernization program, the PN now has the capability to send a contingent to RIMPAC 2018 thus, further fulfilling its diplomatic role in keeping peace and stability in the region,” Zata said.

Zata said the two PN ships linked up with the four naval ships and conducted formation exercises, including maneuvering.

“They went on different formation - diamond, abreast, line abreast, there is also the formation 1. When you say formation exercise, it’s all encompassing. They also conducted communication exercise. For them to have a successful formation exercise, they need to talk in a good communication line,” Zata said.

The six ships sailed together and are expected to arrive in Hawaii either on Tuesday or Wednesday. US officials said RIMPAC will formally open on Wednesday and conclude on August 2.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/joint-sea-exercises-ph-foreign-ships-rimpac