US, Philippines Marine Corps conclude bilateral training exercise

MANILA, Philippines — The US Marine Corps and Philippine Marine Corps concluded two weeks of bilateral training as part of Marine Aviation Support Activity 22.1, the US Embassy in the Philippines said Friday morning. 

The bilateral exercise was held from June 6 to 17 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, at the Antonio Batista Air Base in Palawan with the end goal of increasing the PMC and USMC’s interoperability and improving aviation-related capabilities in support of US-Philippine mutual defense.

“Training side by side increases our combined military capability, but also our friendship, which directly contributes to the strength of our alliance. This exercise builds on decades of cooperation, friendship, and shared experience,” said U.S. Marine Forces Pacific Commanding General Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder in a statement of the US Embassy.

This exercise, which the US Embassy said was meant "to rehearse and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for command and control of aircraft together in support of mutual defense and a free and open Indo-Pacific," marked a first with the inaugural deployment of the TPS-80 Ground/Air Oriented Radar in the country.  

Units from the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Naval Air Wing also participated in the exercise.

“The MASA 22.1 exercise in Palawan is important for our Marine forces and aviators to enhance our effectiveness and readiness to protect our territory.  It will also improve our interoperability with the U.S. Marine Corps and contribute to our longstanding alliance with the U.S. armed forces,” said PMC 3rd Marine Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Jimmy Larida.

MASA 22.1 included integrated and joint interoperability activities such as coastal defense, forward arming and refueling, and subject matter expert exchanges for small unmanned aviation systems and engineering.  

Participants also took part in a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System subject matter expert exchange and practical demonstration.

Marine Air Control Squadron 4 employed the G/ATOR in Laoag to provide airspace surveillance and air defense in support of theater security cooperation and enhanced bilateral training.

MASA 22.2, scheduled for July 18 to 22, is set to include combined tactical and heliborne training between USMC and PMC partner units. — with a report from Kaycee Valmonte