THE military has launched naval drills meant to enhance its “battle readiness” amid tension with China in West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, the Navy’s Philippine Fleet (PF) said yesterday.
The four-day exercise started Tuesday and is being conducted off Zambales, the PF said in a statement.
Zambales is fronting the Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, which China gained control of in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. China has since prevented Filipinos from fishing inside the shoal’s lagoon.
The drill, dubbed “PF’s Unilateral Exercise,” features the Philippine Navy’s capital ships — guided missile frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna. Also taking part in the exercise are PF aircraft including the anti-submarine AW-159 helicopter and the patrol plane Beechcraft TC-90.
It formally opened during rites at the Naval Operating Base-Subic in Zambales. It is the second iteration of such training.
“Unlike the previous exercise, this year’s focus is on in-depth naval warfare operations,” the Fleet said.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the exercise “is part of a series of activities that aim to further develop naval warfare capabilities.”
Trinidad said they are enhancing their capabilities “in response to the Department of Defense call for a comprehensive archipelagic defense concept.”
The Fleet, in the statement, said the exercise aims to “test and enhance” interoperability among the warships and aircraft involved.
Capt. Joselito de Guzman, acting commander of the Fleet’s Offshore Combat Force (OCF), said the exercise “will test and validate existing warfare doctrines, test new capabilities in multi-dimensional warfare for us to develop common TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) to address existing gaps.”
De Guzman said the exercise also seeks to “enhance the interoperability and battle readiness of OCF vessels, specifically the Jose Rizal class frigates and Del Pilar class patrol vessels.”
The Jose Rizal class is a group of vessels composed of the BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna while the Del Pilar class is composed of BRP Gregorio del Pilar, BRP Ramon Alcaraz, and BRP Andres Bonifacio.
The exercise will have two phases, including the Harbor Phase which is “focused on planning, training discussions, and subject matter experts lectures.”
The second is the Sea Phase which the Fleet said is “packed with numerous serials that are designed to simulate various scenarios that demand quick thinking, precision, and cooperation among all units involved.”
“These will test not only technical skills and knowledge in the new capabilities and multi-dimensional warfare but also the unit’s teamwork, discipline, and leadership,” it added.
