By Aaron Recuenco

Philippine Navy will send 200 personnel to the first maritime exercises among the naval forces of the United States and member-states of the Association Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) set for September 2-6, 2019 in Thailand.

Rear Admiral Loumer Bernabe, Chief of the Naval Staff, said the Navy personnel will be on board patrol ship BRP Ramon Alcaraz, which is expected to arrive in Sattahip, Thailand, before the start of the ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise (AUMX) 2019.

“This activity will demonstrate our capability as well as our commitment to make Southeast Asia secured and progressive,” said Bernabe.

“This is also an opportunity to strengthen close ties with counterparts in our shared efforts to maintain peace and security in the ASEAN region,” he added.

The Philippine Navy contingent is composed of soldiers from its various units, including the Philippine Marines.

It will be headed by Capt. Hilarion Cesista.

AUMX 2019 is the first-ever maritime drill between the navies of the ASEAN member-states and the United States. It is co-hosted by the Royal Thai Navy and the US Navy.

The maritime exercise, according to a Philippine Navy statement, aims to promote maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and over flight, and unimpeded commerce in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law.

“Exercise proper will be executed off the eastern waters of Thailand where sea and air assets, and special operations teams of participating navies will conduct combined maneuvers to address various contingencies at sea,” the statement read.

“This naval exercise is a platform on how the PN and other navies in the region can cooperate and work altogether to address shared maritime security priorities through the development of combined operational doctrines, practices and naval tactics,” it added.

Bernabe said that Philippine Navy’s participation in AUMX 2019 is expected to advance their maritime operational capability to multilateral level.

“This will lead to increased readiness and interoperability and enabling the nation’s premiere maritime force to assert more efficiency in the conduct of its mandated task,” said Bernabe.