US WARSHIPS ARRIVE IN ZAMBO FOR NAVAL WAR EXERCISES

By Roel Pareño

Thursday, May 31, 2007

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Three US warships arrived here yesterday to participate in naval war exercises with the Philippine Navy, officials said.

The USS Harpers Ferry from Sasebo, Japan; USS Ford from Everett, Washington; and the USS Jarett from San Diego, California arrived and anchored off Zamboanga City near the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) base early yesterday to help upgrade the Philippine Navy’s counter-terrorism capability.

Security was tight around the vicinity of the three warships, with US speedboats patrolling nearby.

Logistic Group Western Pacific chief and public affairs officer Lt. Cmdr. Billy Ray Davis Jr. said the warships will take part in today’s formal opening of the week-long 13th Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), part of the series of bilateral exercises which the US is conducting with six other nations in Southeast Asia.

Davis said the exercise in southern Philippines kicks off the whole series of naval exercises for 2007.

The US Task Force 73 and the Philippine Navy will conduct naval exercises on maritime security and inter-operability between US and RP naval forces.

Davis said over a thousand US Navy and Army forces will be joining their Filipino counterparts during the exercise concentrated in the areas of Zamboanga and Basilan.

Davis stressed that the US Navy will not join any Philippine military operations.

“We are not here as any type of display of force or anything like that,” Davis stressed, saying their presence could just be incidental to the situation.

“This is just a training exercise. A majority of the program is sea-related exercises with shore coordinated action plans and civic military projects,” Davis said, adding that their training with Filipino counterparts will greatly contribute to the Philippine Navy’s counter-terrorism operation in the south.

“Our training (hopes to) contribute to ongoing operations in the sense that we help the Philippine Navy become much better in securing the waterways,” Davis said.

The Philippine complement consists of about 600 Navy and Marine forces along with three patrol ships, among them the recently acquired cyclones, according to Ensign Annaleah Palad, Philippine Navy Public Affairs Officer.