US, Phl navies participate in advanced sea exercises

The Philippine Navy ships on Monday sailed in formation with the United States Navy vessels as part of measuring their interoperability during this year's sea phase of Exercise "SAMASAMA."

The Philippine Navy showcased its Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigate, BRP Antonio Luna, while the US Navy displayed the capability of its USS Dewey (DDG105), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, in performing various formations off the areas of operation of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon.

During the drills, the USS Dewey launched her Seahawk helicopter (MH-60R), which took photos and videos of ships in formation through the Photo Exercise (PHOTOEX).

Lt. Kim Paoo Lopez, public affairs director of NAVFORSOL, said the navy ships maneuver to perform "Solidarity, Loyalty, and Victory formations" during the PHOTOEX.

"[This] signifies unity, unwavering commitment, and success in performing well to achieve the objectives of the exercise," he noted.

Lopez said the PHOTOEX has a pivotal role in "extending beyond snapshots and the visual chronicle of the naval exercise as the naval forces continuously navigate the challenges of the open seas."

After the PHOTOEX, Lopez said that sea serials resumed as PN and USN conducted an Air Defense Exercise or ADEX, which focused on tracking and identifying an approaching aircraft.

Lopez explained that "ADEX helped the naval force to enhance coordination and integrate various defense systems. Likewise, ADEX is essential in protecting vital assets, maintaining readiness, and fostering coordination among naval forces."

The participating navy ships ensured the safe execution of cross-deck landing performed by helicopters, he added.

Lopez said the "cross-deck landing" provided remarkable opportunities for pilots and deck crew to practice and maintain proficiency in landing on different types of carriers.

On the other hand, the Philippine and US experts from various fields were pooled together for the shore phase activities on subject matter expert exchanges of SMEEs, where they shared best practices in various operations with the participants.

Philippine Navy's Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron 71 and the US Navy's UAS Special Reconnaissance Team One of the Naval Special Warfare shared their best practices and experiences on reconnaissance operations during an SMEE at the Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in San Antonio, Zambales.

Furthermore, the Cyber SMEE was also conducted through web conferencing to showcase the USN and PN Cyber Security best practices.

Then, the Legal Symposium was conducted which focused on the Military Justice System and Non-Judicial Punishment of USN, JMSDF, and RCN; Operational Law/ Rules of Engagement/ San Remo & Newport Manual on Naval Warfare; and UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).

Meanwhile, Lopez said that Filipino and American sailors also participated in a demonstration on force protection, shipyard maintenance exchange training or SMET, and explosive ordinance and disposal training specifically on mine warfare.

The US Navy presented to the Philippine navy approaches to maritime domain awareness in a series of lectures.

The participants were also given a closer look at the methods of PN and foreign counterparts to MDA including US Marine Corps, Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations, Philippine Marine Corps Archipelagic Coastal Defense, and Royal Navy MDA support to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response.

The force protection lectures and demonstrations were likewise initiated by the US Navy and US Marine Corps, focusing on the use of force and procedures for personnel and vehicle searches.

Lopez also noted that participants went through Tactical Combat Casualty Care training to equip them with knowledge on how they could respond swiftly and competently to injuries sustained in combat or during training exercises.

He said the TCCC is of paramount importance since personnel casualty may occur in the unpredictable and hazardous environment in which naval personnel operate.