PH Marines, ADF conclude 1st urban terrain training

It is projected as a long-term commitment with multiple training iterations (Photo: Philippine Marine Corps/Facebook)

MANILA — Philippine Marine Corps and Australian Defense Force personnel completed their first ever Mentor Training Team (MTT) Program for Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) during short ceremonies at Marine Base Gregorio Lim, Ternate, Cavite, Monday.

Capt. Maria Rowena B. Dalmacio, PMC spokesperson, said the MOUT training took place from December 4 to 18.

The participating 120 PMC elements came from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 10 which took part in the five-month battle to clear Marawi City of the invading Maute Group terrorists.

Around 60 ADF personnel participated in the two-week activity. Another training event is scheduled this coming February.

She added the program is a capability development assistance in the form of training and subject matter expert exchanges from the Australian Government through the Joint Task Group 629 of the ADF to the Armed Forces of the Philippines specifically to the PMC.

It is projected as a long-term commitment with multiple training iterations, she added.

“The training focused on various enabling concepts for MOUT specifically on command and control in the urban environment urban close combat, urban sniping and counter-sniping, joint fires and airspace deconfliction in an urban environment, urban breaching, hazard reduction and countering improvised explosive devices, combat trauma management in an urban environment and combat logistics and sustainment operations,” Dalmacio stressed.

This also aids and supports the development of doctrinal references and training packages for MOUT, and promotes defense cooperation and security engagement between the two forces.

“Capability demonstrations on close combat target engagement; urban sniping and counter-sniping and urban breaching and clearing and search highlight the closing ceremony held yesterday December 18, 2017 which was graced by Her Excellency, Ambassador Amanda Gorey, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines,” Dalmacio added.