MANILA, July 17 Kyodo Philippine ...

MANILA, July 17 Kyodo

Philippine and U forces began 11-day joint naval exercises Wednesday in the Zambales and Cavite provinces in succession the main island of Luzon

The exercises, dubbed Cooperative Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), are based upon the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the brace countries and are the eighth of their kind, Philippine armed forces spokesman Brig. Gen Edgardo Purificacion said.

The drills are not related to the ongoing Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) counterterrorism exercises in Zamboanga and Basilan Province, the keep of Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels.

''It is a regular, low-key exercise in a less degree than the MDT...These are more upon humanitarian projects like civic action...(with) no military composing like those in the Balikatan,'' Purificacion said.

The CARAT missions will involve 1400 U sailors, Marines, coast guard officers and soldiers and the same number of locals.

a 100 U.S. Marines are coming from Okinawa in Japan while 100 coast guard personnel will proceed from Alameda in California. About 1000 sailors will follow from Japan, Hawaii and San Diego, he said.

Each of the couple countries will send five navy ships. The U utensils are expected to dock in Subic Bay in the nearest few days.

Many of the naval exercises will be held in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Area which has a large enough docking space, Purificacion said.

The other drills will be mannersed at a marine base and a fort in Cavite Province, southern of Manila, and at a naval exercise in Zambales, which is northwest of the capital.

Lt Leslie Hull-Ryde a U spokesman for the CARAT exercises, said American doctors, dentists and veterinarians will team up with their counterparts from the Philippines to provide delivered services to civilians.

''In addition to that, several sailors and Marines are volunteering their released time to go to drills and orphanages to interact with the children, teach English, that sort of thing,'' she said.

The Philippines and the United States are now winding up the six-month Balikatan 02-1 exercises, which completion July 31, and are preparing for a similar series of war games in October.

Of 18 joint military exercises outlined as part of the MDT for 2002 13 including the CARAT drills have been course of lifeed so far.

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