Naval Air Group response time greatly improved with speedier AW-109's

With the faster AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopters now in its inventory, the response and deployment time of the Naval Air Group (NAG) for emergencies and calamities have become much quicker.

This was revealed by Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic last Friday.

"It is even faster than our Britten Norman Islander (turboprop) aircraft in level flight. It can respond to emergencies much quicker than any of our existing assets," he said.

The twin-engined Islander aircraft has a top speed of around 170 miles per hour.

On the other hand, the AW-109, which is a rotary-wing aircraft, has a top speed of 177 miles per hour or seven miles faster than the twin-engine plane.

This makes it ideal for patrol, surveillance, resupply and medical evacuation missions, Fabic said.
The PN operates two models of the Britten Norman Islander plane for patrol, surveillance, transport and resupply missions.

Prior to the arrival of the AW-109s, the NAG operates only one Robinson R-22 helicopter, one Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm B0-105 helicopter, two Islander aircraft and four Cessna light utility planes.

All of these air assets have an average top speed of only 150 miles per hours.


Two more AW-109s, the attack version of the helicopter, are expected to join the NAG by the third quarter of this year. 

Article Source: PNA

Military Rescues 17 Leyte Workers

CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan City — The 19th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army (PA)’s 8th Infantry Division (ID) has rescued 17 workers and retrieved six dead bodies from a landslide site at the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) geothermal complex in Sitio Upper Mahi-ao, Brgy Lim-ao, Kananga Leyte.

The rescue and recovery operations were conducted by 19th IB members immediately after the landslide occurred and until last Monday.

According to Lt .Col. Joel Alejandro S Nacnac, Commanding Officer of 19th IB, the rescuers were optimistic that there are still survivors, even on the fourth day of retrieval operations.

“We will continue to secure the area and aid other rescuers in retrieval operations. We hope that there are workers still left alive from this unfortunate incident,” Nacnac said.

Nacnac said it was his men participating in a security drill with EDC workers who first responded to the incident at around 9:50 a.m. last Friday, March 1.

“A platoon of soldiers led by Lt. Amin Macalintangue heard an extremely loud sound prompting them to quickly scour the area located at the vicinity of the EDC,” Nacnac shared.

“I highly commend the troops of the 19th Infantry Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Joel Alejandro S. Nacnac for their invaluable efforts in saving 17 workers of the First Balfour Corporation from a landslide at the EDC complex in Kananga, Leyte. Their dauntless efforts saved the lives of these workers,” said 8ID commander Maj.Gen Gerardo T. Layug.

“Rest assured that the 8ID troops will continue to perform search and rescue operations that may be caused by natural or man-made disasters in the region,” added Layug who also extended his gratitude to members of the 19thIB who, he said, risked their lives in saving others during his visit last Monday at the Headquarters of 19IB in Kananga, Leyte.

As of press time, the 19thIB accounted for 17 survivors from the incident, 10 of which were immediately brought to the hospital the same day when the incident occurred.

On the other hand, the death toll has now been raised to six, leaving at least nine more missing.

The Department of Energy (DoE) has already suspended the operations of the geothermal plant of the Lopez-led EDC in Leyte.

However, the EDC, in a statement, clarified that the suspension ordered by the DoE ordered covered only Pad403, the section where the landslide occurred, and not the entire facility.

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Phoebe Jen Indino | Manila Bulletin | March 6, 2013 | Article Link

Alleged NPAs attack rescue team in Masbate

MANILA, Philippines - Alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked soldiers in Masbate on Wednesday morning while on duty extending disaster and relief services.

One of the insurgents died, however, as the government soldiers retaliated, said Southern Luzon Command spokesperson Col. Generoso Bolina.

He said Disaster Rescue and Relief forces were sent to flood-prone areas in preparation for any disaster. At around 6 a.m. at Intusan in the town of Palawan, a firefight ensued.

Quoting 9th IB commander Lt. Col. Jun Pacatan, Bolina said: "I immediately sent a platoon to the area to assist the people but as my platoon was approaching the village, they were fired upon by the rebels."

The firefight lasted 18 minutes. Government soldiers recovered later the body of the insurgent, an M16 rifle, an M14 rifle, two landmines and other war materials.

Col. Felix Castro Jr., 903rd Brigade commander, has already directed the soldiers to stay in the area "for possible DRR operations amidst heavy rains."

"They did not wait (for the worse to come). There is already a weather alert so they went to the area, so that if something happens they can immediately render assistance,” Bolina said.

He asked the rebels to allow the soldiers to do their work in rendering assistance.

"They (rebels) should stop their attacks. We should join hands in rendering assistance to the people. Let us not fight each other at this time and help each other in assisting the people," he said.

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ABS-CBNnews.com | August 8, 2012 | Article Link

Moscow Open To Joint Exercises

MANILA, Philippines -- The Russian Federation is open to the idea of conducting military joint exercises with the Philippines in the area of anti-piracy, and search and rescue operations, similar in nature to what it conducted with Indonesia at the beginning of the year.

However, according to Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Nikolay Kudashev, to make such an activity a regular practice and to introduce the idea of camaraderie into the military-to-military relationship of Moscow and Manila, both countries need to keep in mind the “new regional architecture” and to shed “the ghost of Cold War.”

"While the ghost of the Cold War exists and while the traditional alliances would still keep that divisive nature, that would still be a problem,” Kudashev told Manila Bulletin in an interview at his official residence in Forbes Park, Makati City.

The Russian envoy said certain aspects could still give the feeling that the Philippines is still living under the Cold War era.

“You inherited it from the previous times and you need more of mutual understanding, more of talking to one another, more of confidence to get free of those ghosts,” he stated. “This is my personal feeling.”

Kudashev noted that the documents of certain treaties the Philippines signed with other countries, particularly the United States such as the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), actually originated during the Cold War era.

“What we believe is necessary now, and this is a larger issue, is to think about re-adjusting, I'll try to be as delicate as possible, I would not say dismantling,” Kudashev said.

“Re-adjusting these alliances and making them fit the current of the new age, the current of the new reality in the Asia Pacific, the current of cooperation, of facing together the new threats, of protecting economic cooperation, of facilitating business confidence. We should think about it,” he said.

“Of utmost importance now is to look into the future, to design a new regional set up, to look for a way and that would not be easy,” he said.

In the possible joint Philippine-Russia military exercises, Kudashev cited the recent visit of three Russian Navy ships to Manila.

The ships, which include the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev, sea tanker Boris Botuma, and rescue tug Fotiy Krylov, sailed into Philippine shores last February.

The Russian ambassador said during the visit, Russian sailors introduced themselves to the civilian as well as to the military leadership of the Philippines

He said the crew even conducted some preliminary naval exercises at the Manila Harbor.

“During the meetings with Filipino navy men and Filipino coast guard, (the Russian crew) discussed the issue of conducting joint exercise,” Kudashev said.

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Roy Mabasa | Manila Bulletin | May 21, 2012 | Article Link