ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Philippine Navy (PN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have completed the conduct of the 21-day 2nd Combined Maritime Security Engagement (MSE) in Mindanao, a top Navy official said Wednesday.
Rear Adm. Rene Medina, Naval Forces Western Mindanao (Navforwem) commander, said the closing ceremony was held at the Naval Station Romulo Espaldon in this city on Monday.
Medina said the MSE, held from March 13 to April 2, involved the deployment of vessels from the navies of both countries.
He said Navforwem’s Naval Task Force 61 had utilized the BRP-Gregorio del Pilar (FF15); BRP-General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38); BRP Felix Apolinario (PC-395), BRP Filipino Flojo (PC-386); and BRP-Florencio Inigo (PC-393), while the water assets from the RAN were the HMAS Broome (ACPB-90) and HMAS Launcestaun (ACPB-94).
The vessels patrolled the Area of Operations of Joint Task Forces Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, and Basilan during the 21-day MSE, said Medina.
The MSE, he said, is part of the government’s anti-piracy and anti-terrorism campaign to help curb the security threats affecting the islands of Mindanao.
The joint engagements were seen as one of the major factors in the decreasing number of kidnapping incidents in Western Mindanao, the Navy official said.
Last year, not a single kidnapping was recorded within the Navforwem area of responsibility through the effort of both local and international agencies.
For their part, RAN officials appreciated the professionalism and skills shown by their Filipino counterparts. They also emphasized that the engagement help develop operational concepts and enhanced interoperability in handling threats faced by both countries in the maritime sphere.
The closing ceremony on Monday was attended by Lt. Col. Judd Finger, the Commander of Joint Task Group 629 as the keynote speaker, and Capt. Joe Anthony Orbe, Naval Task Force 61 acting commander, who represented Medina.
The PN and RAN successfully held their 1st Combined PN-RAN Maritime Security Engagement from Nov. 10 until Dec. 1 last year. The focus of the patrol was the Sulu Sea.
Medina said the activity has enhanced the Maritime Cooperation with other regional navies and continues to secure the maritime domain of the Sulu Sea. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
