The Philippine Army (PA) and the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) are gearing to scale up the 2023 edition of the combined Salaknib exercise during the planning conference attended by delegations from both armies in Hawaii from June 27 to June 30, 2022.
PA and USARPAC planning conference delegations reviewed the updated mission statement and area of operations, strategic objectives, exercise timeline, and scaling up of the 2023 edition of said exercise.
"Salaknib", which means Shield in Ilocano, is an annual bilateral combined exercise that aims to enhance the defense readiness of Filipino and American troops by developing tactical interoperability. Around 2,200 PA and USARPAC troops trained side-by-side in this year's edition of "Salaknib" that focused on capability development of the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1BCT), the PA's primary combined arms and rapid deployment unit.
It can be recalled that Commanding General, Philippine Army (CGPA) Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr., said that the combined exercise is a testament to the “long-standing bilateral relations” between the Philippines and the US that will contribute to the “pursuit of a common goal of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.” #
Photos from the Philippine Army Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Education and Training (OG8, PA)