The BRP Lake Caliraya (Photo from the Phlippine Navy Public Affairs Office)
MANILA, Philippines — A decommissioned BRP Lake Caliraya, a Philippine Navy tanker, will serve as a mock enemy ship that a joint team of marines from the Philippines and the United States will sink off the coast of Zambales on July 13 during the semiannual Marine Aviation Support Activity (Masa).
This year’s activity, with 2,700 marines, will be the biggest-ever Masa in its history, Capt. Jarald Rea, the spokesperson of the Philippine Marine Corps, told reporters in a telephone interview on Wednesday. The activity will run from July 6 to 21.
The BRP Lake Caliraya was the Navy’s first motor tanker which it acquired from the Philippine National Oil Company. It was decommissioned in December 2020.
This is the second sinking exercise conducted by the Philippines and the US this year.
During the Balikatan exercises back in April, a decommissioned Philippine Navy corvette formerly known as BRP Pangasinan, was sunk off the coast of Zambales after being used as a target by Filipino and American forces.