The Philippine Navy and Royal Australian Navy conducts its annual defence exercise from 10 to 21 October 2016 in Cebu, Philippines.
The Exercise Lumbas 2016 kicked up on Monday, 10 October 2016 with an Opening Ceremony at Naval Forces Central, Brgy. Looc, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, Philippines. Gracing this opening ceremony was the Commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command, Major General Raul L. del Rosario as Keynote Speaker and Commander Naval Forces Central Capt Loumer P. Bernabe, PN (GSC) as host.
Capt Antonio C. Palces, PN (GSC), Deputy Commander of National Forces Command (NFC) is the Exercise Director of this year’s Exercise LUMBAS with Cdr St. John Brown,RAN as his Australian counterpart.
Two patrol boats of the Royal Australian Navy arrived at the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) port in Barangay Lo-oc, Lapu-Lapu City as part of Exercise Lumbas 2016. These two Armidale-class patrol boats are: HMAS Glenelg (ACPB 96) and HMAS Larrakia (ACPB 84). These patrol boats were used as floating assets for different trainings, which the two navy groups will jointly undertook.
This Exercise is an annual activity between Philippine Navy and Royal Australian Navy held in the Philippines which started in 1998. This aims to strengthen relationship, interoperability and enhance mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Training activities include Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Table Top Exercise, Field Training Exercise (Force Integration and Maritime Security Operations), ceremonial and sports activities.
Lt. Bennet Christian Nuevarez, spokesperson of Navforcen, said the exercise benefited them because of the more advanced training of their foreign counterpart. Nuevarez said that other government agencies such as the Maritime Police, Bureau of Customs and Philippine Coast Guard, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council and Cebu Port Authority whose functions involved in the maritime operations to deter human trafficking, entry of illegal drugs and some contrabands, also participated the exercise. One of the highlights of this year’s exercise was the visit, board and seizure exercise which was conducted in the seawaters of Camotes Island.
Below are the photos of the naval exercise:
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