The Philippine Navy said there will be no at-sea events in this year’s edition of the “Balikatan” military exercises between American and Filipino military forces.
PN chief, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said this year’s Balikatan Exercises include no at-sea events as agreed upon by the Philippine-US defense officials due to the ongoing pandemic,
This year’s “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises started Monday and will end on April 23. Last year’s exercises were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bacordo said the crew members of the BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna are undergoing various training and systems testing before their deployment.
Both frigates are capable of surface, sub-surface, air, and electronic warfare using state-of-the-art electronic sensors, long-range missiles, acoustic guided torpedoes, and an embarked anti-submarine helicopter.