MANILA, Philippines- Matagumpay na natapos ng Pilipinas ang one-day multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) nito kasama ang defense forces ng New Zealand, Japan, United States, at Australia sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Sinabi ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nitong Sabado na isinagawa ang aktibidad sa bisinidad ng WPS sa ilalim ng area of operations ng Northern Luzon Command.
Tampok umano sa pinakabagong MMCA iteration ang “enhanced exercises” upang paghusayin ang interoperability, kung saan nakilahok ang New Zealand sa unang pagkakataon “adding a new dimension to the collaborative efforts.”
“This underscores our shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” ani AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
Kabilang sa mga aktibidad ang pre-sail briefings, communication exercises, cross-deck exercises, division tactics/officer of the watch drills, photographic exercises, replenishment at sea (RAS) approaches, maritime domain awareness exercises, at contact reporting.
Base sa AFP, ang mga pagsasanay ay “all designed to refine operational readiness and collaborative capabilities.”
Nilahukan ang ika-apat na MMCA ng BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS35), isang AW109 helicopter ng Philippine Navy, at Philippine Air Force Search and Rescue (SAR) assets, kasama ang USS Howard (DDG83) at dalawang helicopters ng United States; HMAS Sydney (D48), isang P-8 Poseidon aircraft, at isang helicopter ng Australia; JS Sazanami (DD113) ng Japan; at HMNZS Aotearoa (A-11) ng New Zealand.
Sinabi ng AFP na ipinakita ng MMCA ang dedikasyon nito sa pagpapalalim ng partnerships at pagpapahusay ng collective capabilities sa like-minded nations upang tugunan ang umiiral na maritime security challenges. RNT/SA
