French warship visits Palawan

From InterAksyon (Apr 3): French warship visits Palawan



FS Vendemiaire F734. WWW.SHIPSPOTTING.COM

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - French Marine Nationale’s light monitoring frigate FS Vendemiaire (F734) arrived at Puerto Princesa Tuesday morning for a two-day port call and goodwill visit.

According to Commander Joffrey Gerry, captain of the French Navy warship, the visit is intended to exchange culture and competences of the 92 French Navy aboard the said vessel and their Filipino counterparts.

Although there will be no field training exercises, personnel of the Naval Forces West of the Philippine Navy will be given a chance to familiarize the frigates navigational operation as well as its weaponry.

The French Navy Team were welcomed by deputy Wescom chief Brigadier General Elmer Amon and Commander of the Naval Forces West Commodore Joseph Rustom Pena.

"We are happy that our friends from the French Navy visited us here in Palawan. It is just an affirmation of the friendship between the French and the Filipino Forces," said Major Oliver Banaria, Wescom spokesman.

FS Vendemiaire is a Floreal class frigate complete with radars, electronic warfare and decoys, missiles, and a panther helicopter.

This is the first time that the French vessel visited Palawan after its foray to Manila in 2009 and in Cebu just last year.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/58523/french-warship-visits-palawan