Philippine Navy (PN) and United States Navy (USN) vessels sailed in formation to test their interoperability during the sea phase of Exercise "SAMA SAMA", the PN said on Monday, Oct. 9.
BRP Antonio Luna, a PN Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigate, and USS Dewey (DDG105), a USN Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, performed various formations off the areas of operation (AOR) of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL).
USS Dewey launched her Seahawk helicopter (MH-60R) which took photos and videos of ships in formation through the Photo Exercise (PHOTOEX), said Lt. Kim Paulo Lopez, director of NAVFORSOL public affairs office.
"During PHOTOEX, navy ships maneuver to perform 'Solidarity, Loyalty, and Victory' formations that signify unity, unwavering commitment, and success in performing well to achieve the objectives of the exercise," Lopez said.
"PHOTOEX has a pivotal role in extending beyond snapshots and the visual chronicle of the naval exercise as the naval forces continuously navigate the challenges of the open seas," he added.
After the PHOTOEX, Lopez said that sea serials resumed as PN and USN conducted an Air Defense Exercise (ADEX) which focused on tracking and identifying an approaching aircraft.
"ADEX helped the naval force to enhance coordination and integrate various defense systems. Likewise, ADEX is essential in protecting vital assets, maintaining readiness, and fostering coordination among naval forces," he explained.
Further, Lopez said the participating navy ships ensured the safe execution of cross-deck landing performed by helicopters.
"Cross-deck landing provided remarkable opportunities for pilots and deck crew to practice and maintain proficiency in landing on different types of carriers," he stated.
SMEEs
Meanwhile, shore phase activities on various subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) also brought together PN and USN experts from various fields where they shared best practices in various operations with the participants.
The PN's Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron 71 (MUARS71) and the USN's UAS Special Reconnaissance Team One of the Naval Special Warfare shared their best practices and experiences on reconnaissance operations during an SMEE at the Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in San Antonio, Zambales.
Filipino and American sailors also participated in a demonstration on force protection, shipyard maintenance exchange training (SMET), and explosive ordnance and disposal (EOD) training specifically on mine warfare.
Lectures on maritime domain awareness (MDA) discussed the concepts on USN's approach to MDA, US Marine Corps (USMC) Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), Philippine Marine Corps Archipelagic Coastal Defense, and Royal Navy MDA support to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR), giving the participants a closer look on the methods of PN and foreign counterparts to MDA.
On the other hand, force protection lecture and demonstration by USN and USMC focused on the use of force and procedures on personnel and vehicle searches.
A Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training also equipped participants with knowledge on how they could respond swiftly and competently to injuries sustained in combat or during training exercises. TCCC is of paramount importance since personnel casualty may occur in the unpredictable and hazardous environment in which naval personnel operates, Lopez shared.
Other exchanges of important information covered shipyard maintenance, aviation practices and naval aircraft specification, EOD best practices and replenishment at sea procedures.
"As SMEE resumes, it brings together experts from various fields that are conduits for information exchange. Naval exercises on shore with multifaceted events require a large spectrum of skills and knowledge in which the sharing of best practices and experiences significantly contributes to improvements of naval forces," Lopez said.
Exercise SAMA SAMA is an annual bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the PN and USN. This year's iteration of the exercise kicked off on Oct. 2.
Around 700 sailors and marines from different PN and USN units are participating in different naval drills in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon until Oct. 13, covering the fundamentals of anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, and electronic warfare.
The exercise also includes delegates from Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Australia. Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Indonesian Navy are also joining as observers.