The Philippine military and United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC) launched a three-week bilateral training in the Province of Palawan dubbed as Marine Aviation Support Activity 2022 (MASA 22) last Tuesday June 7, 2022, following its formal launch at the Philippine Marine Corps Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
This aims to enhance the combined and joint interoperability between the two forces when it comes to conducting tactical and heliborne operations as well as coastal defense forward arming and subject matter exchanges for unmanned aviation system and engineering.
Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, WESCOM commander, said the presence and flights of US C17 Globemaster III aircraft over Palawan will run until June 17, 2022, and will consist of bilateral training activities that are focused on mutual defense, counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
“The aviation’s role in joint, combined, interagency and multinational operations has always been significant in the accomplishment of our mission especially in the defense of our sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Carlos said.
“WESCOM welcomes this training opportunity for our joint forces, and we are all confident that such exercises will contribute largely in the sustainment of regional peace and stability,” he added.
The Philippine Navy’s Naval Air Wing and the Philippine Air Force are also participating in the said training to beef up the joint force’s capacity and interoperability for WESCOM’s mission areas. The MASA 22 is the 2nd major training activity this year in Palawan following the Marine Exercise 2022 (MAREX) conducted earlier this year.
Discussion about this post