Filipino, US soldiers conduct combat engineer simulation exercises at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija as part of Balikatan 2023. Ryan Evangelista, ABS-CBN News
FORT MAGSAYSAY - Philippine and American soldiers conducted on Friday combat engineering simulation exercises at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija as part of the Balikatan 2023.
The exercise included the live firing of the Bangalore torpedo and the Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System (APOBS).
The weapons provide close-in demining capability to provide mobility to maneuver forces.
“The Bangalore you have to in place. You have two torpedoes that you place in a V section and you have to go up to the actual wire or the minefield itself and place it. The APOBS has a rocket and you can have a stand-off. So, you don't necessarily have to go all the way up to the wire obstacle to create a lane," said Capt. TJ Warren of the US Army 25th Infantry Division.
“We are very much practicing all our doctrines. The similarities we have are just highlighting the ideas and checking the knowledge we are currently refreshing," said Capt. Ralph Richard Villena, a combat engineer planner in the Philippine Army.
The combat engineering simulation exercise aims to highlight the live fire simulation and interoperability of the Philippine Army and US Army combat engineers in obstacle reduction and elimination by breaching enemy fortifications with the use of explosives.