RP-US military exercises kick off today

By Ding Cervantes

The Philippine Star, Thursday, 14 October 2010

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – Apart from their annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise which opened yesterday in Olongapo City, Filipino and US military forces are kicking off their joint Amphibious Landing Exercises (Phiblex) here today.

In a statement, the US embassy said the opening rites for Phiblex are slated at 10 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel here.

“The two-week long training will be held simultaneously in various locations in Luzon covering the areas of Cavite, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Pampanga,” the US embassy said.

The bilateral exercises, according to the embassy, “are designed to improve interoperability, increase readiness, and continue professional relationships” between the Philippine and US armed forces.

The Philippine Marine Corps and Air Force will join US Marines from the Japan-based 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and US sailors from the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group in both the ground-air and naval integration training, it added.

In addition to these exercises, the Philippine Marines, together with other military units, will join US military personnel in community activities such as medical and dental missions, construction of schools and repair of classrooms, and beautification projects in selected communities, the US embassy said.

Phiblex activities open to media coverage include live-fire training at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac.

The Phiblex closing ceremonies are slated on Oct. 22 at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

Meanwhile, CARAT is the US Navy’s 7th Fleet annual exercise with the Philippine Navy to improve interoperability between them.

CARAT includes amphibious landings, humanitarian civic action, subject matter expert exchanges, naval operations symposia, community service projects, and diving and salvage operations.

US troops due for 'CARAT'

By Bebot Sison Jr.

The Philippine Star, Wednesday, 13 October 2010

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – Some 4,000 American troops are arriving at the Subic Bay Freeport starting today to take part in the 2010 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise will be held on Oct. 14 to 22 here and in other areas in Luzon.

Subic authorities said six US Navy battle ships and three aircraft are joining the military and civic activities that will also involve about 1,000 Philippine Navy men and Marines.

Under the 2010 CARAT exer cise are “in port” training, including subject matter expert exchanges and civic activities like medical, dental and other humanitarian services, and “at sea” training such as search and seizure procedures, maritime interdiction operations and surveillance, and naval gunfire support.

Philippine Navy handa na sa pagsasanay

Bomba, Monday, 11 October 2010

MAGSASAGAWA ng siyam na araw na pagsasanay ang mga miyembro ng magdaragat at Marines mula sa Philippine Navy, habang ang mga sibilyan mula sa Central Luzon ay mabibigyan ng tulong mula sa humanitarian assistance at development projects ng mga American sailors at marines kasama ang kanilang Filipino counterparts.

Mahigit sa 3,000 sailors, Marines, at aviators kasama ang logistics support units ng US Navy at US Marines angdumating para sa nasabing pagsasanay gaya ng: CARAT at PHIBLEX.

Kasali rito ang 6 US avy vessels at 3 airctafts na aayudahan ng 5 Philippine avy ships at tinatayang I,OOO-strong PN contingent ng mga magdaragat' at marines.

CARAT 0 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training sa pagitan ng mga barko at sailors ng dalawang bansa aysisimulan sa ika-l3 ng Oktubre sa Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority sa Zambales. Matatapos naman ito sa ika-22 ng Oktubre.

"It shall be comprised of "in-port" and "at-sea" training activities. lncluded in the "in-port" events are: SubjectMatter Expert Exchanges, community service activities like medicalJdental/engineering civic action and other humanitarian activities. Meanwhile, "at sea" events are comprised of Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure Procedure, Maritime Interdiction Operations, MaritlDle Surveillance, and Naval Gunfire Support, among others," ayon sa nakasaad sa programa.

Ang PHJBLEX 0 Amphibious Landing Exercise ay sasalilian ng American at Filipino Marines gayundin ng amphibious vehicles. ldaraos naman ang boat raid exercise sa Marine Base Temate sa Cavite at isang mechanized raid ang gagawin sa karagatan ng Naval Education and Training Command sa Zambales.

Sisimulan naman ito sa ika-l4 ng Oktubre sa pagbubukas nito sa Clark, Pampanga at magsasara sa ika-22 ngOktubre sa Philippine Marine Corps Headquarters sa Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown sa Naval Station Jose Francisco sa Taguig City.

Ang naturang pagsasanay ay inaasabang mapapalakas ang inter-operability sa pagitan ng dalawang armed services ng daIawang bansa. PN

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.

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.