RIMPAC 2018 -- Philippine Navy

[dr demented]

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1039498

PH Navy RIMPAC participants now in Hawaii

By Priam Nepomuceno June 26, 2018, 3:39 pm

MANILA -- The two Philippine Navy (PN) ships that are participating in this year's "Rim of the Pacific" naval exercises, arrived in Hawaii Tuesday morning.

Strategic sealift vessel BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602) and frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17) have docked at Pearl Harbor at about 10 a.m. (Manila time), Navy spokesperson Commander Jonathan Zata said in a statement.

Aside from the two ships, the PN contingent is also boosted by an AgustaWestland AW-109 naval helicopter and 700 sailors and marines.

Zata said Naval Task Force 86, headed by Capt. Ernesto Baldovino, is the official designation of the Philippine Navy contingent to the RIMPAC, the world's largest joint and combined naval exercise and slated for June 27 to August 2.

"Participating nations will demonstrate the inherent capabilities of their respective naval forces through a wide range of realistic exercises that include human assistance and disaster response, maritime security operations, sea maneuvers and complex war fighting. The exercise not only aims to harness each nation’s naval capabilities but also to bolster cooperation among participating nations to secure the maritime commons against threats," the PN spokesperson said.

He added that the PN's participation in this undertaking is indeed an attestation that the nation’s premier maritime force is “coming of age”, consistent with its vision towards a strong and credible Navy. (PNA)

[dr demented]

BRP Davao del Sur and BRP Andres Bonifacio arriving at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on June 26, 2018.

[Mr. Pitz]

Photos of RIMPAC participants, including BRP Davao del Sur and BRP Andres Bonifacio.

BRP Davao del Sur - DVIDS

BRP Andres Bonifacio - DVIDS

[dr demented]

http://www.janes.com/article/81316/rimpac-2018-asia-pacific-navies-deepen-interoperability-in-group-sail-towards-hawaii

RIMPAC 2018: Asia-Pacific navies deepen interoperability in group sail towards Hawaii
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - Jane's Navy International
26 June 2018

In a bid to improve interoperability between the services, a formation of vessels from Asia-Pacific navies that are taking part in ‘RIMPAC’ 2018 conducted a formation steaming operation from 22-24 June.

The operation, which involved vessels from India, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore, was conducted while the formation sailed from the waters off Guam to Hawaii.

Vessels involved in the formation steaming were the Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN’s) Formidable-class frigate RSS Tenacious (71); the Indian Navy’s Shivalik (Project 17)-class frigate INS Sahyadri (F 49); the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF's) Hyuga-class helicopter carrier JS Ise (182); and the Philippine Navy’s strategic sealift vessel BRP Davao Del Sur (602) and Del Pilar-class frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio (17). Also taking part in the formation was the US Navy’s (USN’s) Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (110).

Vessels from the Philippine Navy are taking part in Exercise ‘RIMPAC’ for the first time, although representatives from the service were present at previous iterations as observers.

Besides sailing in formation, other activities that were conducted over the three days included manoeuvring drills, cross-deck landing of helicopters, and personnel exchanges, according to information released by the JMSDF.

“These interactions at sea enhanced friendship and mutual understanding while deepening interoperability,” said the Singapore Ministry of Defence in a statement on the operation.

[jetmech]

  Darn it, if I did not switch jobs I would be there 2nd week of July. Could have seen the inside of both ships.

[adroth]

  Darn it, if I did not switch jobs I would be there 2nd week of July. Could have seen the inside of both ships.

 

[El_Filibusterismo1978]

https://navaltoday.com/2018/06/27/worlds-largest-naval-drill-kicks-off-in-hawaii/

and so it begins..

This year’s exercise includes forces from 26 nations but among the navies contributing vessels to the drill are Australia (with ships headlined by LHD HMAS Adelaide), Canada (with two frigates, two patrol vessels and the brand new AOR Asterix), Chile (with frigate Almirante Lynch), France (with frigate Prairial which was also part of RIMPAC 2016), India (with frigate INS Sahyadri), Indonesia (with recently-commissioned KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata), Japan (represented by helicopter carrier JS Ise), Malaysia (with frigate KD Lekiu), Mexico (with tank landing ship ARM Usumacinta), the Netherlands, New Zealand (with HMNZS Te Mana), Peru (with BAP Ferré), the Republic of Korea (with Chang Bogo-class submarine ROKS Park Wi and destroyers), the Republic of the Philippines (with frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio and amphibious landing dock Davao del Sur), Singapore (with RSS Tenacious) and the US Navy with a number of ships and submarines with aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson at the helm.

[adroth]

https://www.rappler.com/nation/205855-exercise-rimpac-hawaii-philippine-navy

[dr demented]

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1039794

Ranking US naval official visits PH RIMPAC contingent

By Priam Nepomuceno June 28, 2018, 5:56 pm

MANILA -- US Third Fleet commander Vice Admiral John D. Alexander paid a visit to the frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17), the flagship of the Philippine Navy (PN) contingent to this year's "Rim of the Pacific" (RIMPAC) exercise.

In a statement Thursday, Cmdr. Jonathan Zata, PN spokesperson, said the American naval official was welcomed by Naval Task Force RIMPAC commander Capt. Ernesto O. Baldovino and BRP Andres Bonifacio commanding officer, Cmdr. Jerry Y. Garrido.

The Filipino ship was docked off Bravo Pier, Pearl Harbor, he added.

Zata said Alexander officially welcomed the PN contingent to the largest international maritime Exercise RIMPAC 2018.

The two PN ships that are participating in this year's naval exercises arrived in Hawaii Tuesday morning.

The visit concluded with an exchange of mementos from both countries, he added.

"This is the 2nd International Defense and Security Engagement of the Philippine Navy this year and the first time that it sent warships to RIMPAC," Zata stressed.

Aside from tbe BRP Andres Bonifacio, strategic sealift vessel BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), an AgustaWestland AW-109 naval helicopter and 700 sailors and marines, were also deployed to this year's RIMPAC exercise which started on June 27 and will end on August 2. (PNA)

[dr demented]

Notes from the opening press conference for RIMPAC 2018:

https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/16062

US Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquillano acknowledged the significance of having the Philippine Navy bringing ships to this RIMPAC, saying "The ships look tremendous."

US 3rd Fleet commander Vice Adm. John Alexander acknowledged the Philippine Navy's two commanders for the PN contingent, Naval Task Force RIMPAC commander Capt. Ernesto O. Baldovino and BRP Andres Bonifacio commanding officer, Cmdr. Jerry Y. Garrido, step forward on stage.

Two days of live fire exercises. No specifics on if the PN will be involved in these.  The two days of live fire exercises will be SINKEXs. Naval Strike Missile was mentioned. So was Harpoon, and submarine launched torpedoes.

Adm. Aquillano on China's disinvite to RIMPAC 2018: "This entire exercise is about nations cooperating for peace, stability, security, and a free and open Indo-Pacific region........China's actions in the South China Sea with regard to providing offensive weapons in a contested area is exactly contradictory to the entire purpose for this exercise."

[dr demented]

This ties into US Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. John C. Aquilino's comments regarding the two day SINKEX.  The SINKEX is designed to thest the Multi-Domain Battle Concept, and will involved the firing of a Naval Strike Missile from a US Army shore battery.  The Japanese will also launch an anti-ship missile from shore, and there will also be the use of air-launched missiles and submarine torpedoes.

(article is dated May 30, 2017)

https://news.usni.org/2017/05/30/pacom-integrating-multi-domain-battle-into-exercises-ahead-of-2018-rimpac-army-sinkex

Army Set to Sink Ship in 2018 as PACOM Operationalizes Multi-Domain Battle Concept
By: Megan Eckstein
May 30, 2017 5:12 PM

U.S. Pacific Command has plans to put into practice a joint-service concept to integrate air, land and sea operations, with a mandate for all the services to incorporate the concept into their exercises in a lead-up to the Army sinking a ship at next year’s Rim of the Pacific exercise, the PACOM commander said last week.

Adm. Harry Harris said in a May 24 speech at the Land Forces in the Pacific Symposium in Hawaii that it is “critical that we approach implementing the Multi-Domain Battle concept with a sense of urgency” as threats in the Pacific increase. Multi-Domain Battle seeks to bring all the services together – with all their various sensors, weapons and networks – to create cross-domain warfighting capabilities for the combatant commanders to use.

Harris said in his speech that “I’d like to see the Army’s land forces sink a ship, shoot down a missile, and shoot down the aircraft that fired that missile – near simultaneously – in a complex environment where our joint and combined forces are operating in each other’s domains.”

“Simply put, this concept provides us a way to ensure access to the global commons in the run-up to war, and fight in those same commons should war come,” he added.
“The goal to provide joint solutions between sensors and shooters at the tactical level across multiple domains, this is juice worth the squeeze. A forward-deployed ground force can create temporal windows of opportunity to gain superiority in multiple domains that will allow the other components to kill the enemy more effectively.”

While Multi-Domain Battle was not designed to be geography-specific, Harris has a unique problem in PACOM in that the majority of his area of responsibility is covered in water – and 100 percent is covered by air and space, he noted last fall when addressing the concept at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting and exposition in Washington. With islands and archipelagos and long shorelines to work with and against, and the combination of two top adversaries and five treaty allies in close proximity, Harris can’t allow the Navy to only focus on deep water operations, Marines only the beach, and the Army only inland.

“The end result of my challenge shouldn’t be a simple exercise where we all high five at the end and then head back to the comforts of our services. No, we must incorporate this concept into the way we train year-round. And we all know that tomorrow’s fights are won during today’s training,” Harris said.
“Therefore, we’ll integrate Multi-Domain Battle into command post exercises to check our assumptions. Then we’ll integrate it into our field training exercises that focus on getting our alphabet soup of sensors and shooters talking to one another. Service-specific systems must be able to talk to one another if any of this is going to achieve the effects that we’re looking for. Ideally we’ll get to a point where we see the Joint Force as a network of sensors and shooters allowing the best capability from any single service to provide cross domain fires.”

In his speech, Harris rattled off a number of service-specific Pacific exercises that would begin to test Multi-Domain Battle. By next summer, the beginnings of operational Multi-Domain Battle plans will be ready for the world stage, as “during RIMPAC 2018, [U.S. Army Pacific forces] will fire a Naval Strike Missile from the shore to sink a ship. Our Japanese allies will also fire a shore-based missile during this SINKEX. Folks, RIMPAC 2018 is just a year away. Outcomes like these address some of the tough problems that we face together in archipelagic defense scenarios,” Harris said.
“This is important because the joint force must have faster, longer range, more precise, more lethal, and, importantly, more cost-effective and resource-informed solutions. Not exquisite solutions that break the bank.”

Harris praised the Marine Corps for its efforts to cost-effectively develop and field tools for this type of joint cross-domain warfighting environment, noting that “Headquarters Marine Corps and [Marine Corps Forces Pacific] are working to deploy HIMARS (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) rapidly aboard ships to shoot at other ships. The Commandant’s Warfighting Lab is working overtime with industry to come up with new ways to employ technologies that allow the Marines to operate across domains more effectively,” he said, referring to the recent Ship-to-Shore Maneuver Exploration and Experimentation Advanced Naval Technological Exercise 2017 in California.

The Marine Corps has the benefit of already having some, but not all, systems interoperable with the Navy. The Army has quite a bit of work to do before reaching Harris’ ideal scenario, which he outlined in his speech: “For example, while on patrol in 2007 USS Chafee (DDG-90) received a call for fires from some special operators on mission in Somalia. After some higher echelon coordination, Team Chafee answered that call with accurate and lethal five-inch rounds, hot metal on target. But naval gunfire support is in the Navy’s DNA, so that really isn’t something new. So let’s flip the script. Imagine, if you will, a less capable ship coming under attack in an area of the world where our land forces are within range to help out. Imagine if some of those ground-based artillery batteries could take out that attacker because it’s the best weapon in the best place to do so.”

“Imagine a future battlespace where maybe the best ordnance for a specific target held by a Navy sensor could come from an Army shooter. Or maybe it’s the reverse,” he summed up.

To get started towards that vision, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) has already created a Multi-Domain Task Force that will become an operational unit that specializes in air, sea, space, and cyber domains, as well as land operations, and can be employed by Harris as needed. But that unit, and the Army as a whole, will have to begin to address five types of challenges: hardware challenges, software challenges, connectivity challenges, procedural challenges, and training challenges,” USARPAC spokesman Col. Christopher Garver told USNI News.

“For hardware, we not only have to look at actual weapon systems, we also have to figure out how to move them around the battlefield and logistically support them. For software, we need to adapt existing or develop fire control software to control the weapon system,” he said.
“For connectivity challenges, we have to ensure the fire control software can connect to and operate in the joint fire control system and make sure it can receive targeting data from joint sensors. For procedural challenges, we have to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures to integrate the weapon system into ground force operations. And finally, we have to train our soldiers on all these challenges so they can accomplish the mission.”

The designated target ships for the SINKEX are the former Perry class guided missile frigate USS McCluskey and the former landing ship tank USS Racine (LST-1191).

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/navy-s-newest-amphibious-warfare-ship-may-fill-flagship-role-for-rimpac-drills-1.508392

New this year will be the Army’s land-based launching of a Navy missile to sink a ship at sea. The missile will be launched from an Army heavy expanded mobility tactical truck, said Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. Army Pacific spokesman. The missile will be fired from Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, he said.

A Japanese unit also will fire a missile during a sinking exercise, Garver said.

The decommissioned frigate USS McClusky and the retired tank landing ship USS Racine are expected to be used as targets during the sinking exercises, the Navy said.

[dr demented]

Vice Adm. John Alexander (at podium), commander of the US 3rd Fleet, introduces Philippine Navy RIMPAC Task Force commander Capt. Ernesto O. Baldovino, BRP Andres Bonifacio commanding officer, Cmdr. Jerry Y. Garrido, and BRP Davao del Sur commanding officer Capt. Richard David (all three to the right of Adm. Alexander) during the opening press conference for RIMPAC 2018.

[dr demented]

A reporter interviews members of the Republic of the Philippines Navy after a press conference marking the start of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, June 28.

Image courtesy of https://www.dvidshub.net/

[dr demented]

Philippine special forces practice fast rope techniques.

[dr demented]

Philippine special forces practice helicopter insertion.