The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) Marine Battalion Landing Team-1 (MBLT-1), in collaboration with the Naval Special Operations Unit-6 (NAVSOU-6), on Friday successfully carried out a maritime interdiction simulation exercise along the coastal waters of Barangay Rio Hondo, Zamboanga City.
In a statement on Saturday, the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) said the exercise capped off the Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) training program, aimed at enhancing maritime law enforcement capabilities, particularly in countering smuggling and other illicit maritime activities.
Troops played out a scenario involving a simulated commercial vessel suspected of smuggling contraband from abroad.
In the drill, intelligence reports supposedly placed the target vessel about 300 meters off Rio Hondo, preparing to offload its illegal cargo.
In response, MBLT-1 Marines and NAVSOU-6 operatives executed a coordinated boarding and search operation, demonstrating tactical precision, interoperability, and readiness to respond to maritime threats.
Lt. Col. Nepthalie Papa, Commanding Officer of MBLT-1, supervised the drill from the operations center using intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems that streamed real-time visuals from the field.
He commended the troops for their professionalism and discipline throughout the training cycle.
“This training exercise reaffirmed the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to strengthening territorial defense operations and protecting the nation’s maritime domain against all external and internal threats,” the Marine officer said.
