Elite forces of the Philippine Army (PA) and United States Army kicked off a month-long bilateral training drills in Palawan on Monday, August 15.
The Balance Piston 22-3 was geared at enhancing the interoperability of the PA’s Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) and the US Army’s Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC), according to Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson.
The SFR(A) and SOCPAC teams will conduct bilateral training drills until September 16 at the Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa and at the headquarters of the 18th Special Forces “Riverine” Company in Punta Baja in Rizal town.
Lt. Col. Paulo Baylon, SFR(A) assistant chief of staff for education and training, said the bilateral exercise will focus on long range marksmanship, combat marksmanship, close quarter combat, small unit tactics, unconventional warfare, maritime operations, and full mission profile or culmination exercise.
"We are certain that this will enable us to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures to enhance interoperability between Filipino and U.S. Special Forces," Baylon stated.
The Balance Piston is a regular bilateral training exercise between the special operation forces of the Philippines and the United States. It started in the early 2000s.