U.S. and Philippine Marines defeated a simulated drive from the South China Sea making an attempt to land at Palawan’s Apurawan Seaside throughout KAMANDAG’s culminating exercise on Tuesday.
F-35B Lightning IIs from the “Vikings” of Marine Fighter Assault Squadron 225 launched from USS Boxer (LHD-4) — which was crusing within the Sulu Sea in the course of the drill — to strike a notional column of touchdown craft approaching the seashore with GBU-12s, Capt. Brian Tuthill, the director of communication technique and operations for the fifteenth Marine Expeditionary Unit, informed USNI Information.
Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 supplied extra plane, which deployed hooked up UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters for gun and rocket fireplace towards the touchdown drive. Each nations’ marine forces additionally used Artillery, mortars, anti-tank missiles and different crewed weapons. A deliberate Stinger man moveable air protection system launch didn’t go in keeping with plan because of the goal drone crashing, reported Stars and Stripes. With no aerial targets, the Marines efficiently engaged a goal vessel with the surface-to-air missile.
In keeping with Tuthill, the coastal defenses employed in the course of the drill had been arrange on Monday inside 24 hours of the Marines arriving at Apurawan Seaside. Tuthill additionally famous different actions held in Manila’s South China Sea-facing province, equivalent to an amphibious touchdown, rocket launcher live-fire and counter-unmanned aerial techniques drills with Philippine counterparts within the third Marine Brigade.
The eighth iteration of the KAMANDAG, a Tagalog acronym that interprets to “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea,” collection of workouts kicked off final week proper because the fifteenth Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Rotational Pressure — Southeast Asia wrapped up humanitarian help and catastrophe aid efforts for Hurricane Krathon within the Northern Philippines. This 12 months’s train consists of 2,300 personnel from the Philippines, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the UK and the U.S. collaborating in drills in Palawan and Northern Luzon. Personnel from France, Thailand and Indonesia and likewise observing the train.
Philippine media outlet The Day by day Inquirer reported that humanitarian help and catastrophe aid actions within the nation’s northernmost provinces throughout KAMANDAG had been meant to simulate the evacuation of Filipino refugees fleeing a battle in Taiwan. In comparison with the train’s different actions, U.S. forces solely supplied a secondary help function by way of aviation help and command and management. In keeping with a truth sheet supplied by Marine Rotational Pressure — Southeast Asia, American involvement was meant to “advise and help to extend allied forces means in HA/DR.” USNI Information understands that the Japan Floor Self-Protection Pressure contingent primarily coordinated this particular exercise, which included components from the Amphibious Speedy Deployment Brigade.
KAMANDAG is ready to wrap up on Friday, and with it 2024’s collection of U.S.-Philippine protection engagements and workouts. From the Philippine Navy’s first-ever anti-ship missile launch at Balikatan in Might to the deployment of a cell ground-based Mk.41 launcher in Luzon, this 12 months noticed among the most advanced actions as Washington and Manila deepened their protection relationship amid tensions within the South China Sea.
