U.S.-PHILIPPINE FORCES SINK TARGET SHIP FOR FIRST TIME IN BALIKATAN EXERCISE

Kamuning Dateline:

 

A combined force of U.S. and Philippine service members participated in a combined joint littoral live-fire exercise today, the culminating field training event for Balikatan 2023.

Approximately 1,400 Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen from both countries took part in the training, which involved detecting, identifying, targeting and engaging a target ship using a variety of ground and air-based weapons systems.

“This training increased the exercise’s realism and complexity, a key priority shared between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military,” said Lt. Gen. William Jurney, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and the U.S. director for the exercise. “Together we are strengthening our capabilities in full-spectrum military operations across all domains.”

Balikatan is the largest annual exercise between the two allies and 2023 marks its 38th iteration and the largest iteration to date, with more than 17,600 participants. It provides an opportunity for the two militaries to enhance cooperation, increase capabilities and improve interoperability.

During the exercise, U.S. and Philippine weapons platforms delivered coordinated fires on a target ship, a decommissioned Philippine Navy corvette towed into Philippine territorial waters.

 

 

Bilateral weapons systems consisted of U.S. and Philippine artillery, High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Avenger air defense systems, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, Philippine Air Force FA-50 Golden Eagle fighter-attack aircraft, F-16 Fighting Falcons, U.S. Marine F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, and a U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command AC- 130 Spectre gunship.