Joint RP-US Military Training Exercises Begin

By Elena L Aben

Manila Bulletin, Monday, 11 October 2010

MANILA, Philippines – The annual bilateral military training exercises — called Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) — between Philippine and American forces start Monday.

At least 3,000 US servicemen are now in the country for the nine-day bilateral training, with their counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Philippine Navy Public Affairs Office (NPAO) director, said around six US Navy vessels and aircraft will also participate in the annual event that involve five Philippine Navy ships and at least 1,000 Philippine Navy and Marine personnel.

Arevalo said while both Philippine an American sailors and marines stand to benefit from the exercises that will take place in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, civilians in areas where the activities are set to be held will also gain from joint humanitarian assistance and development projects by Philippine and US military personnel.

The NPAO director said PHIBLEX will involve American and Filipino Marines and amphibious vehicles. A boat raid exercise will be held in Marine Base Ternate in Cavite and a mechanized raid will be held in the coast of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) in Zambales.

PHIBLEX will officially begin on Thursday, Oct. 14, at Clark, Pampanga and will end on Oct. 22 at the Philippine Marine Corps Headquarters at Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Naval Station Jose Francisco in Taguig City.

Fun Triathlon

By Alex Datu Cruz

Remate, Sunday, 10 October 2010

PINANGUNAHAN ni NETC Commander RADM Vicente M. Agdamag ng Naval Station Leovigildo Gantloqul, ang sabayang Fun Triathlon, NETC Idol at Coastal Clean-up sa kahabaan ng mga baybayln ng Pundaquit at Capones Island sa Barangay Pundaquit, Zambales kahapon katulong ang may 700 balang kadete at opisyal ng nasabing kampo.

Ayon kay LCDR Delbert L. Siasoyco, bllang suporla 110 sa International Coastal Clean-up drive na sinuportahan din ng Megana at Tourism President na si Virgie Harvey at Pundaquit Punong Barangay Erwell S. Sadernas.

3,000 US servicemen in joint exercises

By Victor Reyes

News Malaya, Friday, 8 October 2010

AT least 3,000 United States servicemen and their assets are in the country for two military exercises with their counterparts in the Armed Forces in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, a military spokesman said yesterday.

The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise will be held October 13 to 22 at the former US Navy base at the Subic Bay in Zambales, and the Amphibious Landing Exercises (Phiblex) on October 14 to 22 at the former US Air Force base in Clark, Pampanga.

"Around six US Navy vessels and three aircraft (will) participate in these annual events that involve five Philippine Navy ships and around 1,000-strong PN (Philippine Navy) contingent of sailors and marines," said Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.

Under CARAT are "in port" trainings, including subject matter expert exchanges and community service activities like medical, dental and engineering civic actions and other humanitarian activities, and "at sea" trainings which involve visit, board, search and seizure procedure; maritime interdiction operations and surveillance; and naval gunfire support, among others.

For the Phiblex, Arevalo said a boat ride exercise will be held at the Marine Base in Ternate, Cavite and a mechanized raid at the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales.

"The exercises hope to attain inter-operability between the two armed services of both countries," said Arevalo.

"Particularly, it seeks to bolster the inter-operability of the participating country’s armed services in territorial defense in pursuit of our national defense strategy," he added.

Navy, Air Force troops to take part in bilateral exercises

By Alexis Romero

The Philippine Star, Friday, 8 October 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Troops from the Navy and the Air Force will participate in annual bilateral exercises with more than 3,000 of their US counterparts this month.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said some 1,000 troops from the Philippine Fleet and Marines would train with personnel from the US Navy and US Marines for the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and PHIBLEX (Amphibious Landing Exercise).

On the other hand, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Okol said in a radio interview that they would send a contingent for Talon Vision 2010, an integrated training exercise usually held side by side with PHIBLEX.

“Sailors and Marines of the Philippine Navy stand to benefit militarily in a nine-day training while civilians from Central Luzon stand to gain in humanitarian assistance and development projects,” Arevalo said in a statement.

“We will provide the air component for the exercise. Our troops will learn a lot from this. But our US counterparts will also get an insight on how we do our operations,” Okol told radio station dzRH.

Arevalo said six US Navy vessels and three aircraft would take part in the event.

CARAT will start on Oct. 13 at Subic Bay in Zambales and will end on Oct. 22. It will be composed of “in-port” and “at-sea” training activities.

“In-port” exercises include subject matter expert exchanges and community service activities like medical missions and engineering civic action.

On the other hand, “at-sea” events include visits, board, search, and seizure procedure, maritime interdiction operations, surveillance, and naval gunfire support.

Meanwhile, PHIBLEX will involve American and Filipino Marines and amphibious vehicles.

PHIBLEX activities will include a boat raid exercise at the Marine Base in Ternate, Cavite and a mechanized raid at the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales.

PHIBLEX will start on Oct. 14 in Clark, Pampanga and will end on Oct. 22 at the Philippine Marine Corps headquarters in Taguig City.