RIMPAC 2018 contingent left for Cebu prior send off in Hawaii

PHILIPPINE NAVY RIMPAC 2018
Capable, Adaptive, Partners

The Philippine Navy (PN) contingent for the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise left Manila for Cebu before its departure to Hawaii on June 6, Wednesday.

The vigorous support from the government and its stakeholders through the modernization program, the PN for the first time is sending a naval task force to participate in the world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC 2018 scheduled on June 27 to Aug. 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Two Navy vessels, BRP Davao Del Sur (LD602) and BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF17) with an embarked AW 109 naval helicopter, a naval special operations group team and one (1) Marine Company will form part of the participating Naval Task Force (NTF) RIMPAC.

The NTF is led by Captain Ernesto O. Baldovino as the Commander NTF RIMPAC. The Commander, Fleet-Marine Ready Force, Commodore Toribio D. Adaci Jr spearheadsthe contingent as its head of mission.

Vice Admiral Robert A. Empedrad, the Flag Officer In Command inspected and held a “talk to men” to boost the morale of the personnel and ensured the readiness of the contingent in its maiden participation to RIMPAC 2018.

The NTF is further complemented by components from Civil Military Operations (CMO), Training, Medical, Legal, and students from different PN education and training schools

RIMPAC 2018 with its theme, "Capable, Adaptive, Partners” is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971. This is the second International Defense and Security Engagement (IDSE) that the PN will participate in this year. The first IDSE is in Indonesia where the PN participated in the Multi-national Exercise Komodo 2018.

A Royal Malaysian Navy Ship will join the Philippine NTF as it sails from Cebu and will link up with other navies (Indonesian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Navy) along the way for the ASEAN++ Group Sail to RIMPAC18.

The PN’s participation in this undertaking is expected to advance its maritime operational capability to multilateral level thereby increasing readiness and interoperability and enabling the nation’s premiere maritime force to be more effective and efficient in the conduct of its mandated task.

Source: Philippine Navy
https://www.facebook.com/philippinenavy/