The Marine Aviation Support Activity 2023 (MASA 2023) officially opened on Thursday at the Philippine Navy Officer’s Clubhouse, Naval Station Jose Francisco, Taguig City.
MASA 23 is part of the bilateral Philippines-United States activity list for this year aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the two countries Marine Corps., as well as the Philippines Air and the Navy’s Air Wing.
The joint exercise will be held July 6 to 21 in various areas of the country under the Northern Luzon Command, the Western Command, and the Visayas Command.
This drills were meant to bilateral cooperation in military engagements and training.
The said exercise will strengthen the longstanding partnership between the Marine forces of both countries, showcasing their shared commitment to regional stability, mutual learning, and the development of enduring relationships.
The exercise will demonstrate the power of cooperation, forges stronger ties, and fosters mutual respect between the PMC and the USMC that aims to develop deeper bonds and forge relationships that will endure beyond this military activity.
Also, the military exercise aims to improve interoperability of both nations, allowing to operate seamlessly and effectively in joint operations by aligning the county’s armed forces procedures, tactics, and communications, also to enhance the combined capabilities and readiness of the Philippine troops leading to a more synchronized response to evolving challenges.
Aligned with the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement, the training events will encompass a wide range of interoperability exercises. These include live fire drills, bilateral air assaults and airfield seizures, joint forward arming and refueling operations, as well as other aviation support activities.
Doing the undertaking together, participating Philippine and U.S. forces seek to enhance cooperation and interoperability, reaffirming their commitment to each other as friends, partners, and allies.
These will cover areas such as expeditionary refueling, aerial casualty evacuation, water purification, health services, close air support, aviation safety, and more. Such collaborative initiatives foster lifelong friendships and connections among service members from both nations, further solidifying the partnership and contributing to regional peace and stability.
“The activity will involve over 2,700 troops — 1,257 Philippine marines with 115 reservists and 1,444 US marines,”Capt. Jarald Rea the PMC spokesperson, told reporters in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
“This is the biggest number of participants in the entire history of Masa,” the Philippine Marines official said.
The Philippine Navy will deploy several ships – the corvette BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), heavy landing craft BRP Waray (LC-288), littoral patrol vessel BRP Manuel Gomez (PC-388), and coastal patrol craft BRP Nestor Reinoso (PC-380).
The main objective of the exercise is to enhance the capabilities of the combined forces in conducting aviation-supported operations through the conduct of joint and combined training and exercises that will develop proficiency in undertaking aviation-related tasks in the accomplishment of the PMC and AFP mission.
