Two US warships dock in Subic Bay for war games

MANILA, Philippines - Two United States warships, complete with combat-ready US Marines and sailors, have arrived in the country for naval war games lasting 12 days, starting in Palawan and Zambales.

The two warships will be supporting 5,000 Filipino and US Marines and sailors who will be involved in amphibious operations training.

“The training is designed to strengthen military responses to regional issues, humanitarian disasters, maritime-security needs within the Asia-Pacific region,” a press statement from the United States embassy said.

USS Peleliu (LHA5), an amphibious assault ship and USS Germantown (LSD-42), an amphibious dock landing ship of the US 7th Fleet docked at Subic Bay Freeport yesterday.

The ships will take part in the joint PHIBLEX 15 (Amphibious Landing Exercises) in the hotly contested West Philippine Sea, the statement said.

This year’s joint naval war games, held yearly in line with the country’s Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the US, will officially open at the Naval Forces West (Navforwest)’s newly established headquarters at Ulugan Bay in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Navforwest is in charge of securing and protecting the country’s maritime sovereign rights over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the disputed Spratlys archipelago.

Apart from Palawan and Zambales, the joint military training will also be held in other areas in Central Luzon, the US embassy said. 

Mock mechanized assaults will be held along the shorelines of San Miguel, Zambales, an exercise area close to Panatag Shoal (Scarborough), a rich fishing ground that is also being claimed by China, while joint training will be held at Clark Air Base in Pampanga and live fire exercises at Crow Valley in Tarlac.

Other PHIBLEX exercises include engineering and civil action activities. The war games close on Oct. 10 at the Philippine Marines headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.