MANILA,
Philippines – US and Philippine troops will participate in a joint Amphibious
Landing Exercises near disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea (South China
Sea) this month.
Philippine
Navy Public Affairs Officer Lt. Commander Marineth Domingo said the drills will
advance soldiers’ inter-operability and combat promptness of the Philippines
and US forces while enhancing security cooperation in the region which will run
from September 29 to October 10.
Domingo said
that "the exercise is meant to improve the interoperability and combat
readiness of Philippine and US troops, improve relations of the two militaries
and enhance security cooperation in the region.”
"They'll
have targets at sea, called 'killer tomatoes. All ships will aim at the hostile
objects. Then they will take turns to fire their guns,” Domingo said.
Reportedly,
five warships, including a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, and about 1,000
troops will take part in week-long Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training
(CARAT) drills, which include live-fire drills 40 miles (64 km) off Zambales,
on the western shores of the Philippine island of Luzon.
Exercises
will be held at 80 nautical miles distant from two or three ships of the
Chinese coast guard are stationed on patrol off the disputed Scarborough Shoal,
control of which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.
An official
confirmed that Manila will send the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a former US coastguard
cutter, and the BRP Emilio Jacinto, a former British Royal Navy Peacock-class
ship, for the drills, along with Polish-made helicopters.
Meanwhile, Philippine
and US troops will also pursue humanitarian activities, including medical
missions and the construction of school buildings in some parts of the country.
