PHILIPPINE WARSHIP LEAVES FOR WAR GAMES IN AUSTRALIA by Vic V. Vizcocho, Jr.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The warship BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) of the Philippine Navy set sail this morning (Sunday, 17^th August 2014) on a week-long journey to participate in the multi-lateral military exercises “KAKADU 2014” at Northern Australia from Aug. 25 to Sept. 12, 2014.

“This will be an avenue to learn the latest techniques and strategies as well as the chance to see the most modern capabilities in Naval Technology,” Rear Admiral Isabelo H. Gador, vice commander, Philippine Navy, said during the send-off at the Rivera Pier in this bustling Freeport.

According to Gador, KAKADU is the largest international maritime exercise hosted biennially by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) “to promote regional interoperability and cooperation among the participating navies.”

“I enjoin you to exhibit at all times the excellence and high professionalism that the Philippine Navy is known for,” Gador said.

Aside from Australia and the Philippines, also joining the exercises with navy ships and aircrafts are Japan, New Zealand and Pakistan while Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vanuatu, South Korea and India will be sending personnel as observers, bringing to 12 the number countries participating in the exercises.

In March this year, another Philippine warship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15), was sent to Indonesia to participate in the naval exercise codenamed “KOMODO’” where 16 countries were involved.

Although China is an observer at KAKADU 2014, the Philippines’ current maritime preparations are mainly aimed at protecting its territories in the West Philippines Sea where China has been unabashedly occupying Philippine territories in the past several years.

Aside from the Philippines, China, which claims almost all of the West Philippines Sea, also known as South China Sea, is locked in territorial disputes with Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan and other Asian nations. (VVV)

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