New frigate Jose Rizal departs for Rimpac drill in Hawaii

July 29, 2020

The Philippine Navy (PN) held a simple send-off ceremony at Alava Wharf, SBMA, Zambales Wednesday for its contingent that will participate in the world’s  largest joint and combined naval exercise dubbed as Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2020 (Rimpac20) in Honolulu.

The exercise will run from August 17 to 31 2020. It is a United States-led naval exercise hosted by the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet and held biennially.

The participating Naval Task Group (NTG) 80.5 is on the newly-commissioned BRP Jose Rizal with an embarked AW109 naval helicopter.

NTG 80.5 is led by its commanding officer, Capt. Jerry Garrido Jr. as the concurrent contingent commander, and complemented by the surface, services and support components. 

Navy Flag Officer In Command, Vice Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo served as the presiding officer and keynote speaker for the send-off ceremony.

 Bacordo said in his remarks that, “our participation in these exercise marks the beginning of a new era of naval operations as we build up our capabilities for modern warfare." 

BRP Jose Rizal is the PN's first warship in the inventory that is equipped with multi- dimensional warfare capabilities.

''Through Rimpac20, our Navy will be able to simulate and test the capabilities of this newly acquired platform. This will provide FF150 a venue to test the proficiency of personnel as they integrate in a wider range of operations,'' said Bacordo.

"This will boost your team training and increase your operational readiness. But all of you need to observe safety protocols. In this challenging times, it is imperative to work together, learn together and be safe together," he added. 

In light of the COVID-19 protocols, the exercise will be an at-sea event only. To ensure safety of all the contingents from different military forces, shore-based activities are minimized.