Noy thanks US for Spratly aid commitment

By Delon Porcalla

Philippine Star, Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The joint Philippine-US naval exercises begin today in Palawan, where most of the disputed islets, shoals and reefs are located.

The joint naval maneuver called CARAT 2011 (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2011) would be held near the Sulu Sea.

Two Philippine Navy ships with 300 sailors – BRP Rizal (PS 74) and BRP Pangasinan (PS 31) – will take part in the drill together with the USS Chung-Hoon, USS Howard and USNS Safeguard.

Chung-Hoon and Howard are guided missile destroyers while Safeguard is a dive and salvage

warship of the US 7th Fleet.

US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mike Morley, CARAT’s point of contact, said the 11-day naval exercise will train the sailors in dealing with different operational problems both in land and at sea.

“Ashore training includes such specialties as Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) exercises; diver training; salvage operations; joint medical, dental and civic action projects, and aircrew familiarization exchanges,” he said.

“The at-sea phase of CARAT focuses on developing maritime security capabilities in areas such as maritime interdiction, information sharing, combined operations at sea, patrol operations and gunnery exercises,” he said.

US servicemen are also set to visit Hulugan Bay in the West Philippine Sea for a scheduled tour of the world renowned Underground River.

“Highlights of CARAT 2011 are the personnel exchange between the two ships for the effective communication of information between the PN and USN; friendship games; and PN-hosted and USN-hosted reception dinners to further strengthen the relationship between the two parties involved,” the Philippine Navy said in a statement.

“Civil military operations are also scheduled to be able to reach out to the residents of Palawan, particularly medical and dental civic action at Barangay Tagabinet; engineering civic action at Barangay Mangingisda Elementary School; and community relation activity at Tagburos Elementary School and Gregorio Oquendo Memorial Elementary School,” the Navy’s press statement said.

Naval show

Meanwhile, naval forces from the Philippines and more than 20 other countries will join a fleet review that will highlight the 3rd Brunei International Defense Exhibition (BRIDEX) in Brunei Darussalam on July 2.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said they will join their counterparts from countries including China, Malaysia and Brunei in the activity to learn more about innovations in defense warfare.

A fleet review is a ceremonial gathering of different navies. Other countries that will send naval personnel and equipment to the review are the US, Pakistan, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.

Tonsay said the Philippine Navy will send the BRP Apolinario Mabini and BRP Mariano Alvarez to the event. The vessels, with combined crew of 105, will leave Sangley Point, Cavite on June 28.

“This activity will enable the crew of the two patrol vessels and members of the organized task group to gain insights and appreciation on technology advancements and industry developments, particularly on defense warfare,” Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama said.

“BRIDEX also provides an excellent platform for building vital alliances, forging partnerships and capturing new business opportunities in a fast growing South East Asian region,” Tonsay said.

philstar.com

Palawan: CARAT 2 kicks off

By Fernidand F. Castro

Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, June 28, 2011

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan, Philippines — The second Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), an annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Philippine and US Navies started Tuesday.

Major Neil Anthony Estrella, Western Command spokesperson said some 1,000 sailors from the United States will participate in the CARAT's ashore training and at-sea phase.

This year's exercises would be more relevant for the participating Navies and strengthen the relationship of the two countries. The seven day military exercises will end on July 4.

mb.com.ph

RP-US naval exercises start Tuesday

By Elena Aben

Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, June 28, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — The annual Philippines-US bilateral military exercises dubbed Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training or CARAT Philippines 2011, where some 800 American servicemen will join their Filipino counterparts, will kick off Tuesday at Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

Three US Navy ships — guided missile destroyers USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USS Howard (DDG 83) and the diving and salvage ship USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50) — will participate in CARAT Philippines 2011. The ships are the US Navy’s centerpieces for the exercise, which features 11 days of training exchanges between the two navies, both ashore and at sea.

The bilateral military exercise, which will take place starting Tuesday up to July 8, will be held at Puerto Princesa City and in the Sulu Sea.

CARAT is part of the two nations’ military cooperation under the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 and is held every year.

Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, Philippine Navy spokesman, said the main purpose of the activity is to strengthen the ties and cooperation between the two navies through the exchange of knowledge and skills in the field of navigation and naval operations, particularly maritime defense, port security, resource protection and disaster response.

Highlights of CARAT 2011 are personnel exchange for the effective commutation of information between the Philippine Navy (PN) and the US Navy (USN); friendship games; and PN-hosted and USN-hosted reception dinners to further strengthen the relationship between the two sides.

Civil military operations are also scheduled with the aim of reaching out to the residents of Palawan. These include the Medical and Dental Civic Action at Barangay Tagabinet; Engineering Civic Action at Barangay Mangingisda Elementary School; and Community Relation Activity at Tagburos Elementary School and Gregorio Oquendo Memorial Elementary School. A Community Service and Public Affairs activity is also set in the form of free music lessons at Palawan State University Laboratory High School and Palawan National School. To cap off the activity, there will be a free band concert by the Philippine Marine Corps and the US 7th Fleet Band at the Puerto Princesa City Ampitheater and at the NCCC Mall.

Tonsay said members of the US Navy are also scheduled to visit the Puerto Princesa Underground River, the city’s biggest and most popular tourist destination.

"This is an opportunity for the Naval Forces West, the city of Puerto Princesa and the province of Palawan to showcase its beauty and its natural resources," he added.

The Navy official further stated, “This exercise will certainly prove its worth as all aspects of naval operations are being integrated as the two navies further their interoperability.”

Capt. David Welch, Commander, Task Group 73.1 and the US commander for the exercise, meanwhile said, "The US and Philippine navies have a long history of working together, and exercises like CARAT provide a great venue for us to hone our skills and increase our interoperability."

mb.com.ph

Philippine-US navies unite amid China tensions

By Mynardo Macaraig

Maritime Security Asia, Tuesday, June 28, 2011

PUERTO PRINCESA, June 28, 2011 (AFP) – The Philippines and the United States will launch naval exercises on Tuesday close to the South China Sea, which is the focus of a simmering regional territorial row.

The longtime allies have emphasised the event is an annual one aimed at deepening defence ties, and not linked to rising concern in Manila about allegedly aggressive Chinese actions in the much coveted seas.

“The US and Philippine navies have a long history of working together, and exercises like (these) provide a great venue for us to hone our skills,” said the US commander for the 11-day exercises, Captain David Welch.

Nevertheless the exercises are being seen in Manila as a timely show of unity between the Philippines and its former colonial ruler.

Two state-of-the-art US missile destroyers, along with the host’s World War II-era warships, will patrol the Philippine waters of the Sulu Sea.

The Sulu Sea is separated from the South China Sea only by the narrow Philippine island of Palawan.

China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to have vast oil and gas deposits, while its shipping lanes are vital for global trade.

Vietnam as well as the Philippines have in recent months accused China of taking increasingly aggressive actions in staking its claim to the disputed waters and its archipelagos.

In response, China has insisted it wants to resolve the territorial dispute peacefully but remained firm in its claims to most of the South China Sea, even waters within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile economic exclusion zone.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino this month called for US help in containing China’s South China Sea ambitions, saying his country was too weak to stand up to the Chinese alone.

Aquino made his plea after accusing China of inciting at least seven recent incidents in the disputed waters, including one in which a Chinese vessel allegedly opened fire on Filipino fishermen.

Aquino also accused China of breaking international law by entering the Philippines’ economic exclusion zone.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week offered the Philippines some comfort, pledging that the superpower ally would help to modernise the cash-strapped Philippine military.

“We are determined and committed to supporting the defence of the Philippines,” Clinton said.

No specifics were immediately announced but Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario later said the US government had vowed to boost the Philippines’ intelligence capabilities in the South China Sea.

The Philippine-US exercises, called Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), officially begin at 3:00pm (0700 GMT) on Tuesday with an opening ceremony on Palawan island.

The first of the US vessels, the USS Chung-Hoon arrived at a pier in Palawan’s capital, Puerto Princesa, on Tuesday morning, greeted by a Philippine Navy band playing marching tunes.

US sailors in dress uniforms stood to attention as their vessel was guided into place by tugboats. The second destroyer, the USS Howard, will arrive later in the day said Lieutenant Commander Mike Morley, spokesman of the US forces.

About 800 US sailors and 450 Philippine seamen will be involved in the exercises.

The United States is scheduled to stage similar exercises with Vietnam next month, although it has insisted they too are unrelated to the South China Sea tensions.

maritimesecurity.asia