PH Navy contingent to join global naval drills

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 6): PH Navy contingent to join global naval drills

The Philippine Navy (PN) contingent to this year's "Rim of the Pacific" (RIMPAC) will participate in several maneuvers and drills, described as the world's largest naval exercise.

In a message Thursday, PN spokesperson Commodore Jonathan Zata said the Navy contingent will be participating in Helicopter Cross-Deck Trainings, Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief Exercise Control Training, Special Operations Training, Amphibious Assault Vehicle Familiarization, Life-Saving Training Exercises, and Urban Terrain Military-Operations Training.

The PN contingent will also be joining the Beach Insertion Rehearsal, Combat Life Training, Fast Rope Insertion and extraction System Training, Ground-Air Integration, Heliborne Raid Operations, Small Boat Insertion, and Shallow Water Egress Free Play.
RIMPAC started on June 27 and will end on August 2. The naval exercises will be held in Hawaii.

The PN contingent consists of the strategic sealift vessel BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17), an AgustaWestland AW-109 naval helicopter, and 700 sailors and marines.

It is commanded by Capt. Ernesto Baldovino while the mission head is Commodore Toribio Adaci.

"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.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1040595