THE heliborne training involving the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the US Marine Corps (USMC) will begin today and it will be conducted in Zambales and Taguig City as both forces strengthened their interoperabitily operations.
Marine Spokesman Major Emery Torre said the 4-day exercise will include helicopter rope suspension and aeromedical evacuation as the PMC and the USMC undertakes the second part of the Marine Aviation Support Activity 2022 (Masa 2022) 22.2.
Through the Masa, both forces rehearsed and refined tactics, techniques and procedures for command and control of an aircraft. The activity is purportedly “in support of mutual defense and a free and open Indo-Pacific” region.
Brig. Gen. Raul Jesus L. Caldez, acting Commandant of the PMC and Masa 2022 Exercise Director, said that everything was set for the bilateral exercise and he looks forward to the successful conduct of the activity.
The PMC and the USMC concluded exactly a month ago the first part of Masa (Masa 22.1), which was held for 12 days in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, and the Antonio Batista Air Base in Palawan.
The bilateral exercise increased the PMC and USMC’s interoperability and improved aviation-related capabilities in support of US-Philippine mutual defense, a document from the Armed Forces of the Philippines read. Units from the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Naval Air Wing also participated in the exercise.
The Masa 22.1 also included integrated and joint interoperability activities such as coastal defense, forward arming and refueling, and subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE) for small unmanned aviation systems and engineering.
The participants of the exercise also took part in a “high mobility artillery rocket system,” or “Himars,” SMEE, which culminated in a practical demonstration.
The Masa 22.1 marked a historic first with the inaugural deployment of the US TPS-80 Ground/Air Oriented Radar (G/Ator) in the Philippines. During the the training, Marine Air Control Squadron 4 employed the G/Ator in Laoag City to provide airspace surveillance and air defense in support of theater security cooperation and enhanced bilateral training.