The Philippine armed forces and the US Navy have completed the Balikatan 2023 Joint Training Exercise.

Th? U.S. N?v? M?kin Isl?n? Am?hi?i??s R???? G???? (ARG) with th? ?m???k?? 13th M??in? Ex???iti?n??? Unit (MEU), ?n? th? A?m?? F??c?s ?? th? Phili??in?s (AFP) c?m?l?t?? Ex??cis? B?lik?t?n 2023 (BK23), A??il 28 with ? cl?sin? c???m?n? in C?m? A??in?l??, Phili??in?s. U.S. ?n? Phili??in? ??l?ti?nshi?s ??? ??s?? ?n st??n? hist??ic?l ?n? c?lt???l link???s ?n? ? sh???? c?mmitm?nt t? ??m?c??c? ?n? h?m?n ?i?hts. B?lik?t?n ???s?nt?? ?n ?????t?nit? ??? ???s?nn?l ???m th? AFP ?n? th? M?kin Isl?n? ARG c?m??is?? ?? USS M?kin Isl?n? (LHD 8), USS Anch????? (LPD 23) ?n? USS J?hn P. M??th? (LPD 26), t? w??k t???th?? t? ?????ss ch?ll?n??s ??l?t?? t? th? M?t??l D???ns? T???t?, c??nt??-t?????ism th???ts, h?m?nit??i?n ?ssist?nc? ?n? ?is?st?? ??s??ns?. Th? 1951 U.S. Phili??in? M?t??l D???ns? T???t? ???vi??s ? st??n? ???n??ti?n ??? th? U.S. ?n? Phili??in?’s ???s?nt-??? ???tn??shi?. This ?lli?nc? ??cilit?t?s ?n ???n, int??c?nn?ct??, ??sili?nt, ?n? s?c??? In??-P?ci?ic ???i?n.

M?kin Isl?n? ???tici??t?? in C?m?in?? J?int L??istics Ov?? th? Sh???, in which h??v? s???li?s ?n? ???i?m?nt w??? l????? ?nt? l?n?in? c???t, ?i? c?shi?ns ?n? t??ns???t?? t? th? ???ch. A t?m?????? ?il?t???l, m?lti??ncti?nin? t??m w?s ?st??lish?? ?n sh??? t? t??ns??? ???l t? ?n? ???m shi?s, st??? ?n? ?????t? h??v? ???i?m?nt, ?n? c?n??ct v?hicl? c?nv??s. Th? ??ilit? t? ?x?c?t? ?m?hi?i??s ???l??? ?????ti?ns ?ns???s th? AFP ?n? U.S. milit??? ??? ????? t? ??s??n? t? c?isis ?n? c?ntin??nci?s ?t sh??t n?tic?. Anch?????’s S?il??s, ?n? M??in?s ?ssi?n?? t? 1st R?c?nn?iss?nc?, 13th MEU, c?n??ct?? ? Visit, B????, S???ch, ?n? S?iz??? (VBSS) ?x??cis? ?n ?x???iti?n??? m??il? ??s? USS Mi???l K?ith (ESB 5). VBSS ???vi??s ? v??i?t? ?? sc?n??i? inj?cts th?t ????i?? sit??ti?n?l ?n?l?sis, c?mm?nic?ti?n, ?n? ?il?t???l ??cisi?n m?kin?. This ?x??cis? ???vi??? ?n????ll?l?? ?????t?niti?s t? ??m?nst??t? th? st??n?th ?n? ????in?ss ?? th? U.S.- Phili??in? s?c??it? ?lli?nc?.

Th? M?kin Isl?n? ARG ???tici??t?? in ? ????? s?il ?l?n?si?? Mi???l K?ith, ?n? Phili??in? n?v? shi?s BRP J?s? Riz?l (FF-150), BRP G?????i? D?l Pil?? (PS 15), ?n? BRP T??l?c (FF 601) in th? S??th Chin? S??. This ?v?nt ?nh?nc?s ??? ???c?s’ c?mm?nic?ti?n, t?chni???s ?n? ???c?????s ?c??ss ? wi?? ??n?? ?? ?????ti?ns whil? ?ss??in? ? hi?h ?????? ?? int????????ilit?. M?kin Isl?n? ?n? AFP c?n??ct?? ? sink ?x??cis? which c?nsist?? ?? AFP st??in? ? ?l??tin? t????t with th? ???l ?? c??sizin? it. M?kin Isl?n? l??nch?? th?i? 6 F-35B Li?htnin? IIs—?i?th ??n???ti?n st?ik? ?i?ht??s ?ssi?n?? t? M??in? Fi?ht?? Att?ck S??????n (VMFA) 122, 13th MEU—?n? ?m?l???? 4 GPS ??i??? m?niti?ns ?nt? th? t????t, s?cc?ss??ll? c??sizin? it.

F?? th? ?in?l ?h?s? ?? B?lik?t?n 23, M?kin Isl?n? c?n??ct?? ? sim?l?t?? ?m?hi?i??s ??i? ?t B???k?’s P?int, ???l???in? U.S. M??in?s t? c?n??ct liv? ?i?? t??inin?, ?n? ?il?t???l l?n?-??n?? ?i??s in ? c??st?l ????ns? t??inin? sc?n??i?. Fi?l? t??inin? ?x??cis?s c???t? v?l???l? t??inin? ?????t?niti?s ??? ??th ???tn??s t? ??v?l?? ????ici?nc? in c??st?l ????ns? c?nc??ts, ?s w?ll ?s ??il? c?m??????i? ?n? ??s??ct ?m?n? s??vic? m?m???s ?t ?v??? l?v?l. Th? M?kin Isl?n? ARG, is ?????tin? in th? U.S. 7th Fl??t ???? ?? ?????ti?ns with th? ?m???k?? 13th MEU t? ?nh?nc? int????????ilit? with Alli?s ?n? ???tn??s ?n? s??v? ?s ? ?????-??s??ns? ???c? t? ????n? ???c? ?n? m?int?in st??ilit? in th? In??-P?ci?ic ???i?n. 7th Fl??t is th? U.S. N?v?’s l????st ???w???-???l???? n?m????? ?l??t, ?n? ???tin?l? int???cts ?n? ?????t?s with Alli?s ?n? ???tn??s in ???s??vin? ? ???? ?n? ???n In??-P?ci?ic ???i?n.