By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine Army (PA) and its Australian Army counterparts on Monday formally kicked off the month-long Exercise Carabaroo 2024 in the northern Australian city of Darwin.
In a statement Tuesday, PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade hosted this year’s edition of the drills.
“It forms part of the broader architecture of Exercise Predator’s Run 2024 which is dubbed the Australian Army’s most significant littoral training activity of the year,” he added.
The PA deployed a 125-member contingent for the event.
Meanwhile, Army and Marine contingents from the United States, United Kingdom, and Timor Leste are also participating in the exercise, which tests the concept of deployment of a Light Littoral Brigade on Australia’s northern coast.
Littoral refers to areas near shores or coastal regions.
The PA delegation—led by Governance and Strategy Management Office (GSMO), 5th Infantry Division (GSMO, 5ID) Chief Col. Jesus C. Pagala — consists of selected General Staff and personnel of the 5th Infantry Division, Training and Doctrine Command, Army Artillery Regiment, Army Signal Regiment, Army Support Command, Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), First Scout Ranger Regiment, and Combat Engineer Regiment.
The Philippine and Australian governments signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in May 2007 as the basis for defense cooperation between the two nations.