2 USS destroyer bababad sa Pinas

By JB Salarzon/Rose Miranda
Abante, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Sampung araw na bababad sa katubigan ng Pilipinas ang dalawang sasakyang pandigma ng Estados Unidos, kasama ang isang United States Navy Ship (USNS) para sa gagawing joint naval exercises ng Philippine Navy sa Sulu Sea.

Ayon kay Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, tagapagsalita ng Navy, makakasama sa aktibidad ang USS destroyer ‘Chung-Hoon’ (DDG 93), USS destroyer ‘Howard’ (DDG 83) at ang auxiliary support vessel na USNS ‘Safeguard’ (ARS 50) para sa 2011 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT).

“Gaganapin ‘yung CARAT simula Hunyo 28 hanggang Hulyo 8,” ani Tonsay.

Ang Sulu Sea ay matatagpuan sa west eastern na bahagi ng Palawan.

Ang Chung-Hoon na may lulang 280 sailors ay umalis sa Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam base noong Hunyo 1 sa Hawaii patungong Western Pacific.

Hindi na ito ang unang pagkakataon na sasali ang Chung-Hoon sa military exercises sa bansa dahil nakasama rin ito ng Philippine Coast Guard noong nakaraang taon sa ginawang “boarding and searching vessels” sa Sulu Sea.

Sinabi ni Tonsay na ang Chung-Hoon ay nasa international waters pa lamang sa kanlurang bahagi ng bansa.

Sa bahagi naman ng Philippine Navy, sinabi ni Tonsay na na apat na barko at isang eroplano ang makakasali sa CARAT.

“We will be deploying in the joint exercises a patrol ship, two patrol gunboats and a logistic/landing ship. We will also deploy an Islander aircraft,” ani Tonsay.

Nilinaw din nito na walang kinalaman ang tensyon sa Spratlys ang gagawing CARAT dahil ito’y taunang ginagawa sa loob ng nakalipas na 10 taon.

Kaugnay nito, iniulat kahapon ng Malacañang na pinalalakas na ng pamahalaan ang kapasidad ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) para sa mas epektibong proteksyon sa karagatan ng Pilipinas.

abante.com.ph

US Naval units due for exercises

By Victor Reyes
Malaya, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

TWO United States destroyers and a salvage ship are proceeding to the country later this month to take part in exercises with their Filipino counterparts off Palawan.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay however said the exercises, dubbed Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) has nothing to do with the renewed territorial dispute over the Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea.

Tonsay said the annual training exercises would be pursued east of Palawan or in the Sulu Sea from June 28 up to July 8. The Spratlys - claimed by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei - is located west of Palawan.

Tonsay said the three US ships taking part in the exercises are USS Chung-Hoon and USS Howard, which are classified as destroyer ships; and USNS Safeguard, a rescue and salvage ship. He could not immediately say how many US servicemen will take part.

He said the USS Chung-Hoon is currently somewhere in international waters in the West Philippine Sea.

The CARAT exercises have been held for more than 10 years. The US is also conducting similar exercises with Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Tonsay statement’s came after Vietnam began yesterday conducting live fire exercises in its claimed territory in the South China Sea.

Like the Philippines, Vietnam recently accused China of violating its sovereignty.

malaya.com.ph

Pagsasanay ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard, paghahanda sa pagbabantay sa mga coastline ng bansa

RMN News, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

IBINUNYAG ng palasyo ng Malacañang na nagsasanay na ang mga kawani ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard sa pag-gamit ng bagong sasakyang pandagat ng Pilipinas na Hamilton Class Cutter na bago lang nakuha ng gobyerno.

Ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda inihahanda na ang naturang sasakyang pandagat upang magamit agad ito sa oras ng pangangailangan.

Ngunit iginiit nito na gagamitin lang ang Hamilton Cutler upang bantayan ang napakalaking coastline ng bansa pati na ang pagbabantay sa environmental protection tulad na lamang ng smuggling ng black corals sa Sulu Sea.

Sinabi naman nito na iiwan nalamang nila sa Department of National Defense kung ano pa ang ibang pag-gagamitan ng naturang sasakyang pandagat.

rmnnews.com

RP-US naval exercises in Palawan

By Aaron Recuenco

Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the rising tension over the disputed Spratly Islands, the naval forces of the United States and the Philippines will be holding almost two weeks of military war games off Palawan late this month.

But Marines Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, Navy spokesman, said the joint military exercises are not a show of force with the country’s long-time ally, although the site of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) for this year is proximate to the disputed island group.

“This is not related to that issue, this has been planned long before,” said Tonsay.

The Spratlys controversy cropped anew after the Philippines accused China of bullying and intruding in the disputed island groups which was backed up by another claimantcountry, Vietnam.

While the Philippines and Vietnam have been very vocal on the alleged bullying, it was Vietnam which reportedly started live-fire exercises near the disputed island group.

Tonsay would not confirm Vietnam’s live-fire drill, but stressed that no live-fire exercises are scheduled in the joint exercises between US and Philippines navies from June 28 to July 8.

What were initially listed, he revealed, are diving exercises, salvage exercises at sea, and sea training exercise, among others.

But even if there would be live-fire exercises, Tonsay stressed that other claimant-countries should not intervene for as long as they are held in international waters and within their respective territories.

“It (Vietnam live-fire drill) is not a provocative action, it is not a threat to security for as long as it is held in international waters or within its territory,” said Tonsay.

“In the same way that they are not supposed to take actions if we hold exercises within our territorial waters, all they could do is to monitor,” he added.

He said the CARAT activities is definitely not a provocative action on the part of the Philippines since both the US and the Philippines have been holding the exercises for 10 years now.

It was not clear, however, if this year’s CARAT will be held off Palawan for the first time. All that Tonsay could confirm is that CARAT activities are rotated in various parts of the country since it began 10 years ago.

“The objective is interoperability, our ability to operate with the US and vice versa and exchange of doctrinal and tactical best practices,” said Tonsay.

Tonsay revealed that three US ships will participate in the war games—USNS Safeguard, USS Howard and USS Chung Hoon— and will be joined by four Philippine Navy ships.

mb.com.ph