The Philippine Navy is set to deploy more than 100 sailors to join this year’s Multilateral Regional Maritime Exercise in Australia.

Commander Jonathan Zata, Philippine Navy (PN) spokesman, said a total of 300 Philippine Navy personnel on board the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF16) are set to join the maritime exercise with codenamed Kakadu 2018 from August 31 to September 15.

He said the send-off ceremony for the Philippine Navy contingents departing for Darwin, Australia will be held at Pier 13 in South Harbor, Manila on Monday afternoon.

Zata said this year’s “Kakadu is the 14th iteration of the multilateral naval exercise hosted biennially by the Royal Australian Navy.”

“It represents an opportunity for invited navies to participate in multinational maritime activities in a manner which promotes greater levels of military cooperation and understanding amongst nations,” he said.

Zata said the Multilateral Regional Maritime Exercise that commenced in 1993 was last conducted on 2016.

“This is the third time the PN has sent its ship to participate since the exercise began way back in 1993. The first time that the PN sent a ship was in 1999 and the last was in 2014,” he said.

“The PN observers were also sent in 2003, 2005, and 2007. However, in 2016 the Philippine Navy was not able to participate,” he added.

Zata said this year’s Kakadu will be participated by a total of “24 naval vessels and twenty-one 21 aircraft from 26 different countries.

“The participating countries involve including the Philippines are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, UAE, USA and Vietnam,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS