PH Navy contingent to sail for ASEAN-China maritime drill on Oct. 17

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 16): PH Navy contingent to sail for ASEAN-China maritime drill on Oct. 17

The Philippine Navy will hold a send-off ceremony on Wednesday for logistic support vessel BRP Dagupan City (LC-551) and the 300-man contingent who will be participating in the first-ever maritime exercise between the People's Republic of China and ASEAN members states on Oct. 21 to 28 in Zhanjiang.

Navy spokesperson, Commander Jonathan Zata, said the send-off event will be at 7:30 a.m. at Captain Salvo Pier, Naval Base, Cavite City.

The exercise, dubbed as ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise (ACMEX) 2018, will be hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy and China's People Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

It aims to provide military exchanges between ASEAN member states navies and their Chinese counterpart, focusing on maritime safety, search-and-rescue at sea with emphasis on the use of Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).

BRP Dagupan City has a displacement of 4,265 tons at full load, are 273 feet long, has a draft of 12 feet and has a top speed of 12 knots. It was commissioned in PN service in the 1990s.

Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong earlier said the proposal for a joint ASEAN and Chinese naval exercise was submitted during the ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting in Singapore in February.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1051159