PH, US troops hold live-fire maneuvers

ASSAULT SIMULATION A Filipino marine fires a rocket in an exercise with US marines in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. —Photo from Philippine Marine Corps

PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN, Philippines — Filipino and American troops held live-fire drills using rocket weapons aboard a sea vessel during a “force integration exercise” in Palawan, the island-province facing the West Philippine Sea.

Troops from the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) 3rd Marine Brigade fired a rocket-propelled grenade aboard a coastal patrol boat in Puerto Princesa City on Oct. 17, Thursday, as part of this year’s Kamandag Exercise. Kamandag in Filipino means venom but here it is acronym for “cooperation of the warriors of the sea.”

The US Marine Corps also fired a shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon as both Philippines and the United States “test the competency of both Marines in handling their respective heavy weapon system,” the PMC said.

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Also on Wednesday, troops from the Philippine Marines and their US counterparts held amphibious assault exercises at Long Point in Apurawan village in Aborlan town in Palawan.

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Detailed planning

Members of the PMC’s 3rd Marine Brigade and combat support brigade, the Philippine Navy’s naval construction brigade and the US Marine Corps’ battalion landing team participated in the drills that include “target suppression through live-fire of various guns and infantry maneuvers on the beach.”

Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the United Kingdom will also join the 10-day exercise in key areas in the country such as Batanes, the northernmost Philippine province nearest Taiwan.

France, Thailand and Indonesia will participate in the exercises as observers.

According to the PMC, the simulated amphibious assault on Apurawan was conducted utilizing boats of the Philippine marines and its US counterparts as the assaulting force.

Col. Nicholas Freeman, the commanding officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team, said the simulated assault was the result of months of detailed planning between the two allies that offers valuable opportunities between the two forces “to train together and learn from each other.”

Humanitarian aid

Palawan has served as the training site of various drills that include the Balikatan exercises that was participated in by the Philippines, the United States and their allies.

Kamandag, which was launched on Tuesday, will run until Oct. 25 with 2,351 forces from the participating nations.

Live-fire drills will also be held in coastal areas in northern Luzon, including Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

The troops will also conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response exercises in the capital town of Basco and in Itbayat island in Batanes.

PMC commandant Maj.Gen. Arturo Rojas last week said the exercises would “prepare ourselves also for any crisis.”