Philippine Navy (PN) ship BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) will test its capabilities to respond to disasters and intercept enemy forces at sea as it joins the Multilateral Naval Exercise “Komodo” (MNEK) in Makassar, Indonesia in the first week of June.
(Courtesy of Philippine Navy's Fleet Marine Ready Force)
BRP Andres Bonifacio and her crew were sent off in a ceremony led by Brig. Gen. Edwin Amadar, commander of the Fleet Marine Ready Force, at the Naval Operating Base in Subic, Zambales last May 29.
Komodo will be held from June 4 to 8, and will be attended by 49 navies from around the world. The theme for this year’s event is “PARTNERSHIP TO RECOVER AND TO RISE STRONGER".
Komodo is a military exercise by the Indonesian Navy in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This is the fourth iteration of the exercise after it was successfully held in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
“The Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) aims to enhance facilitating multilateral engagement with international partners as well as to bolster relationship and cooperation among participating navies,” Lt. Jonathan Carretas, FMRF public affairs officer, said on Tuesday night, May 30.
He said the exercise will focus on the participants’ ability to build a common understanding on humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations and maritime interdiction operations.
There will also be an international fleet review, engineering civic action program, maritime hospitality, and community relations.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Navy clarified that Komodo is a “non-war exercise”.
“KOMODO is a non-war exercise. This exercise is focused on maritime security exercises, humanitarian assistance activities, aiming to increase the work of the navy and the countries involved,” the Indonesian Navy said in a tweet.