Navy, Marines conducting amphibious exercise in Zambales

November 26, 2019

Philippine Navy and Marine troops in Northern Luzon are conducting Fleet-Marine amphibious exercise dubbed as “Pagsisikap” 2019 to train government forces on amphibious operation using the newly-acquired Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) and other naval assets.

On Tuesday, Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting Philippine Navy public affairs acting director, said the exercises which started on Nov 24 and ends on Nov 29, is taking place in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and in the vicinity of Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command, Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in Zambales.

“This exercise will focus on the Fleet-Marine Operations concepts with emphasis on Amphibious Operations employing the Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) of the Philippine Marine Corps with follow-up operations at shore,” she said.

“The PH Navy, through this exercise, aims to further develop Fleet-Marine units that are capable of and competent in planning and executing amphibious operations in support of the Navy’s Capability Development Plan,” she added.

Roxas said the exercise is joined by a total of 350 Sailors, 160 Marines and 70 reservists from the Naval Reserve Center Northern Luzon.

“The Navy will utilize the recently-acquired Landing Dock platform, BRP Davao Del Sur (LD602), Patrol Escort Vessel, BRP Pangasinan (PS31), Philippine Marine Corps special operating units, the Naval Air Wing’s AW 109 helicopter, the Navy’s SEAL team and Naval Combat Engineering team,” she said.

Exercise Pagsisikap 2019 is a Fleet-Marine amphibious exercise conducted by the Philippine Navy to develop and achieve an amphibious-capable and credible force and enable the Fleet-Marine forces to assert more efficiency in the conduct of its mandated task,  she added.

According to Lt. Gen. Ramiro Manuel Rey, commander of Northern Luzon Command the exercise, “aims to further develop Fleet-Marine units that are capable of and competent in planning and executing amphibious operations in support of the Navy’s Capability Development Plan.”

“This four-day exercise focuses on Fleet-Marine concept of operations to sustain the Fleet-Marine unit’s competency in planning and execution of Amphibious Operations and test the Amphibious Task Group (ATG) concept and support to Philippine Navy’s Capability Development Plan,” Rey said.

He also mentioned that the “simultaneously Civil Military Operation (CMO) and Community Relation (COMREL) activities will also be part of the exercise in support to the overall campaign thrust of NOLCOM of enhancing the relationship, cooperation and trust of community to the AFP specifically in the conduct of White Area Operation.”

Rey said the CMO and COMREL activities will enhance their relationship with the community by showing to the populace their importance as the primary stakeholders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Roxas said the CMO and COMREL related activities and exercises which aim to build and strengthen mutual understanding among sailors, marines, reservists and the populace will be conducted in San Fabian, Pangasinan. Robina Asido/DMS