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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH Army reactivates tank battalion

PH Army reactivates tank battalion

Published Apr 22, 2022 11:01 am

The Philippine Army (PA) has reactivated its 1st Tank Battalion which will be manned by soldiers who played a crucial role in the liberation of Marawi City from terrorist groups in 2017.

Philippine Army Division's officers and enlisted personnel stand in formation during the reactivation of the 1st Tank Battalion and the de-activation of the 8th Cavalry Company at the division’s headquarters in Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac on April 21, 2022. (Courtesy of Philippine Army)

Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., PA commanding general, led the ceremony at the Armor Division’s Headquarters at Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac on Thursday, April 21.

Brawner said that the tank battalion’s reactivation will bolster the armor units’ operational capability in conducting ground operations against current and emerging threats.

It is also seen to "play a key role in the defense of the country’s land domain."

"Looking at the future operational landscape, the Philippine Army has reactivated the 1st Tank Battalion to provide our infantry and mechanized infantry forces with advanced firepower capability and enhance the standards of protection, especially in conducting contingency missions and combined arms and joint operations," he stated.

The tank battalion traces its roots to the organization of the 1st Cavalry Regiment under the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division in 1935.

The PA officially activated its first tank battalion in September 1958 with assets which included M4 US Sherman tanks. The original tank battalion, however, was deactivated three years later due to the high cost of tank maintenance.

Now, the reactivated tank battalion will be composed of newly acquired and upcoming assets such as 18 Sabrah ASCOD light tanks, 10 Pandur 8x8 wheeled light tanks, a command vehicle, a recovery vehicle, and a tank gunnery simulator acquired under the second horizon of the revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program.

Brawner also spearheaded the deactivation of the 8th Cavalry Company during the ceremony.

The unit provided cavalry support to the 103rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division whose area of operations cover Lanao del Sur and parts of Lanao del Norte. They were particularly cited for their role in the military’s victory against Islamic State (ISIS)-inspired terrorists that attacked Marawi City in 2017.

The personnel of the deactivated 8th Cavalry Company will now form the nucleus of the reactivated tank battalion.

Lt. Col. Don Frivaldo assumed as the provisional battalion’s acting commander during the reactivation ceremony.

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