Strengthening ties at sea

In an exchange that reflects 80 years of diplomatic relations, two Philippine Navy aviators were welcomed on board HMAS Perth.

SBLT Tres Marayag and FN2 Lee Angelo G. Rovillos joined Perth for two days at sea while the ship took part in the sea phase of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security.

SBLT Marayag watched Philippine Navy ships transit the ocean from the shade of a picnic table on board Perth.

“On the flight deck over there, that’s the type of helicopter I fly in,” he said, pointing across the waves at an AW-109 attack helicopter on the flight deck of BRP Jose Rizal.

The 27-year-old pilot is familiar with Australians, having studied international relations at ADFA for three years.

“Funnily enough, the one Aussie city that I haven’t been to is Perth, but now I can say that I’ve been in Perth,” SBLT Marayag said.

The cross-deck exchange included living and working alongside the ship’s company at sea after the shore phase of the joint cooperation activity, co-chaired by Japan and the Philippines.

Perth operated off the coast of Zambales alongside ships from the Indian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal New Zealand Navy, Philippine Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy and US Navy, supported by a US Navy P-8A Poseidon.

Perth’s Flight Commander LCDR Glenn Watson welcomed the integration of the Philippine Navy personnel with ‘Banshee’, the embarked MH-60R Seahawk.

“Being able to host our two counterparts as part of Banshee’s team speaks to what we’re doing in the ADMM-Plus, which is building on our longstanding defence ties,” he said.

“What better opportunity is there to deepen people-to-people links than through a cross deck, where we’re living, eating and flying together?”

ASEAN sits at the core of Australia’s vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, where all countries, large and small, are free to exercise their sovereignty.

Australia regularly participates in multilateral cooperative activities in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.