MANILA — Having amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) in the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) inventory will further boost its “limited sea basing” capability, Navy spokesperson Commander Jonathan Zata said Sunday.
AAVs will allow PMC units to embark in any of the two strategic sealift vessels, the BRP Tarlac (LD-601) and BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), if needed, he added.
“The PMC is essentially an amphibious ready force and part of our doctrine is that they can be embarked in our landing docks. Part of the doctrine is the so-called ‘limited sea basing’, which means that a battalion of Marines is always on board, at any one time, ready for any possible exigencies,” Zata said in Filipino.
And once the AAVs are delivered to the PMC, this doctrine will be beefed up further as this will give the PMC more assets to do amphibious landing.
The PMC is slated to undertake delivery of eight Hanwha Techwin AAVs later this year or early 2019.
Contract for the vehicles is placed at PHP2.42 billion.
Some Marine troopers are now in South Korea, undergoing training to handle these AAVs. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
