RP and Australian Navies conduct maritime training in Cebu

By Ronron
October 15, 2007

Simultaneous with the RP-US military exercises in Luzon, Navy forces of the Philippines and Australia will also conduct starting Wednesday a four-day maritime training that is table-top in nature in Cebu, spokesmen of the Philippine Navy said Monday.

Philippine Navy Public Information Officer Marine Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan said the activity is called Lumbas 2007, the fifth since it started in 2003, which will be held from October 17 until the 20th.

“This year’s exercise edition will comprise off shore-based training and exchanges of defense expertise as well as a community outreach program organized by Naval Forces Central in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu,” Caculitan said in a statement.

He said the Staff Exercise and Command Post Exercise of the Philippine and Australian Navy forces will be aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational readiness, particularly in Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief Operations, and Maritime Security Operations from the tri-border areas of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

A community relation activity – repainting of school buildings in Lapu-lapu City – will also be conducted, said Naval Forces Central Information Officer Lt. Junior Grade Alex Garso.

Caculitan said the exercises will also give both forces the opportunity to tour each other’s decks, aside from an actual exchange of subject matters of expertise.

According to Garso, the Royal Australian Navy will bring in HMAS Parramatta on Wednesday for the activity, while the Philippines will use two patrol gunboats (BRP Juan Magluyan and BRP Apollo tiano), an auxiliary ship (BRP Mangyan), and another vessel he has yet to ascertain.

He said there will be around 200 Australian forces and about a hundred Filipino counterparts that will participate in the training exercise.

Garso assured that the exercise is allowed under Philippine laws despite the absence of a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) with Australia because “there is no movement of troops at sea.”

“This is not a major exercise. This is just like even a goodwill visit of the Australian Navy in the Philippines. The joint maritime training activity is table-top in nature, to be held at a conference room by the shore,” he said.

On Monday, the RP-US Talon Vision exercise kicked off, to be followed Tuesday by the RP-US Amphibious Landing Exercise. All activities, which will be participated by over 3,000 troops from both sides, will be formally opened today (Tuesday).

The exercise with the American troops is sanctioned by the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty./DMS