The Philippine Army (PA) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) kicked off the Philippine-Australia Army-to-Army Exercise (PAAAE) "Kasangga" 23-2 on Monday.
The opening ceremony was held at Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal.
This bilateral exercise, which will last until June 23, 2023, will witness 114 soldiers from the PA's 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) training together with 43 Australian soldiers.
During this exercise, the soldiers will engage in a range of activities such as urban operations combat tracking, jungle warfare and survival training, long-range marksmanship, tactical combat casualty care, sensitive site exploitation, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance operations, and small unit leader's training.
The two forces will exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures to enhance their mutual capabilities.
Australian Defense Attaché to the Philippines, Col. Paul Joseph Barta, stated that Australian soldiers will learn jungle warfare and survival skills from the 2ID soldiers, who are known as "Jungle Fighters."
Meanwhile, 2ID Assistant Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Augusto V. Villareal said that Filipino troops will gain knowledge and skills in urban operations from their Australian counterparts.
Exercise Kasangga 23-2 is an annual bilateral training exercise that aims to strengthen Army-to-Army ties and interoperability between the two ground forces. It is part of the Philippines-Australia Defense Engagement Plan for July 2022 to July 2023.
