Russian Warships Visit Philippines, Announce Surprise Joint Drills

[ahojunk]

Moscow seeks naval drills with Manila to fight terrorism
Source:Reuters Published: 2017/1/3 21:48:39


Russia wants to hold maritime drills with the Philippines to help combat terrorism and piracy, sending two warships to Manila for the first official navy-to-navy contact, as President Rodrigo Duterte pivots to United States' traditional rivals.

Admiral Tributs, an anti-submarine vessel, and a sea tanker Boris Butoma, arrived late on Tuesday for a four-day goodwill visit, with its crew expected to demonstrate anti-terrorism capability and hold talks, said Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov, head of the Flotilla of the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet.

"Our governments will maybe discuss in some period of time the possibilities of our maritime exercises," Mikhailov told a news conference, adding Russia has been holding drills with the Indonesian navy.

"The biggest problem now in the world is terrorism and piracy, and all our exercises we have, for example, with you we will have to fight these problems and we will show you what we can do and we will see what you can do and show us," he added as the Russian navy showcased the warships.

A spokesman for the Philippine Navy told reporters this is the first official interaction with the Russian navy, an arch rival of its former colonial master and closest ally in the region, the United States.

Washington and the Philippines have been holding naval exercises annually but Duterte has instructed the defense department to "reformat" drills with Washington, moving away from the South China Sea to repair relations with China.

Mikhailov said they were willing to help train Philippine counterparts to fight piracy and terrorism and they hope to foster stronger security in the region.

The Philippines has been struggling to prevent Islamist militants from abducting crew of slow-moving tugboat and foreigners sailing on yachts in the southern maritime borders with Indonesia and Malaysia.

Last month, Duterte sent his foreign and defense secretaries to Moscow to explore arms deal after a U.S. senator said he will block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines due to concerns with the rising death toll in a war on drugs.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in the drug crackdown since Duterte took office on June 30, roughly a third in operations when suspected drug peddlers and users resisted arrests.


********

Good, let's get rid of the terrorists and pirates and make the SCS a safer place.

.

 

[Nevsky]

Russian Warships Visit Philippines, Announce Surprise Joint Drills


In a move few could have predicted to start off 2017, the Russian destroyer Admiral Tributs and sea tanker Boris Butomato have arrived in the Philippines to conduct military training exercises in an unprecedented navy-to-navy contact between the two nations.

Picture: CNN

The warships arrived in the region on Tuesday as Russian Navy Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov proclaimed a joint mission between Manila and Moscow to target the region’s two most pressing security concerns, maritime piracy and terrorism.

"We’re very sure," the commander of the Russian pacific fleet said, "in the future" Russia and the Philippines will "get such exercises, maybe just the maneuvering." Alternatively, "maybe just use some combat systems and so on," he noted, so as not to tip Russia’s hand concerning its regional naval strategy.

"We will show you what we can do, and we will see what you can do, and show us," he said, adding that the Russian Navy has carried out exercises with the Indonesian navy.

https://sputniknews.com/military/201701031049234888-russia-warships-visit-philippines-drills/

 

[ohmrlobalobayeh]

Russian Marines in smashing Philippine charm offensive

View photos
Russian marines attached to the anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs show their skills during a demonstration at a park in Manila on January 5, 2017


Russian Marines shattered glass bottles with their heads and smashed burning wooden planks against each other Thursday as part of an eye-catching charm offensive in the Philippines, a traditional US ally.

The camouflage-clad Marines showed off their pistol-shooting, knife-fighting and martial arts skills to the Filipino public in Manila's central park as part of a "goodwill visit" spearheaded by two warships following Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's announced pivot away from the United States.

As bewildered passers-by watched, the Russians smashed boards with their fists, had cinder blocks crushed on their stomachs and endured beatings from flaming planks.

The show culminated with them smashing glass bottles on their heads without any visible effect.

After the display, eager Filipinos rushed to take "selfies" with the beret-wearing Russians.

"The performances were great, the stunts were quite impressive," gushed student Antonio Chua.

Filipinos were also allowed to attend an open house on the submarine-hunter Admiral Tributs, one of the two ships making what was only the Russian Navy's third-ever port call in the Philippines.

Duterte, who calls himself a socialist, has championed a move away from the United States and towards US rivals Russia and China following American criticism of his bloody war on crime that has claimed thousands of lives.

"America has lost," Duterte said on a visit to China in October last year.

"I've realigned myself in your (Chinese) ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way."

Russia's ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev said Thursday he expected a planned visit by Duterte to Russia in April or May to be "a milestone".

"It will be a very successful visit that will give a powerful impetus (to our) cooperation in different fields," Khovaev told reporters at the Marines' display.

As bewildered passers-by watched, the Russians smashed boards with their fists, had cinder blocks crushed on their stomachs and endured beatings from flaming planks.

circus performance? Sounds like a Shaolin wushu performance to me

 

[Khanate]

Russia Offers Philippines Arms And Close Friendship
Karen Lema | Jan 5, 2017

Russia is ready to supply the Philippines with sophisticated weapons including aircraft and submarines and aims to become a close friend of the traditional U.S. ally as it diversifies its foreign ties, Russia’s ambassador said on Wednesday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-U.S. relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia.

Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries.

Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs.

He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners.

“It’s not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones. So Russia is ready to become a new reliable partner and close friend of the Philippines,” he said.

“We don’t interfere with your relations with your traditional partners and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia.”

The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a U.S. senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines due to concern about a rising death toll in a war on drugs launched by Duterte.

Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer.

“We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones,” Khovaev said.

“Russia has a lot to offer but everything will be done in full compliance with international law.” .

He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

“Your traditional partners should not be concerned about the military ties ... If they are concerned, it means they need to get rid of clichés,” he said.

Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov, head of the Flotilla of the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet, said on Tuesday Russia wanted to hold maritime exercises with the Philippines to help combat terrorism and piracy.

The United States and the Philippines have been holding naval exercises annually but Duterte has decided to reduce the number of exercises and to move naval drills away from the disputed South China Sea, to reassure China, which is suspicious of U.S. military movements in the disputed waters.


Source: Reuters

 

[Path-Finder]

Russia holding exercises with Philippines in a similar diplomatic norm with Pakistan!!

 

[ahojunk]

A video of the Russian visit to PH.

Russian navy in Manila on goodwill visit
CGTN
Published on Jan 5, 2017

A Russian warship and tanker are in Manila on a goodwill visit. This is only the third time the Russian Navy has made a port call in the Philippine capital, and it comes as both countries seek to strengthen ties. CGTN’s Barnaby Lo brings us this report from the port of Manila.

 

[TaiShang]

The shift in regional balance in SCS over the past few months has been monumental. Interestingly, it all started with the PCA ruling.

The ability to turn negativity into positivity...

 

[tranquilium]

The shift in regional balance in SCS over the past few months has been monumental. Interestingly, it all started with the PCA ruling.

The ability to turn negativity into positivity...

To be honest, I would say US' botched up job to overthrow and kill Duterte probably had bigger impact than anything else. There is a reason Zhou Enlai forbid PRC intelligence services from ever using political assassination. It may look like an attractive short-term tool, but it leaves way too much mess and cost you in the long run.

 

[艹艹艹]

 

[bdslph]

philippines should TOT and buy from Russia what ever it can


its a good time for pakistan to send navy and airforce visit to philippines

 

[Cossack25A1]

Maybe this thread https://defence.pk/threads/russia-offers-philippines-arms-and-close-friendship.471078/ should be merge with this one as despite difference in the news title, it was done on the days the Russian warship is docked here in the PH.


Mod Edit: Done, the two threads are merged.

 

[xunzi]

I sure hope the CIA will not assassinate Duerte. It is a barbaric political move that is not acceptable in 21st CE.

 

[Nevsky]

Duterte hopes Russia will become Philippines' ally and protector

"We welcome our Russian friends. Anytime you want to dock here for anything, for play, for replenish supplies or maybe our ally to protect us," said Duterte while shaking the hands of Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov, head of the Flotilla of the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-russia-duterte-idUSKBN14Q0Z0

What a great man Duterte is.

 

[Pinoy]

This is the beginning of Russian and PH friendship. Duterte is opening new doors for our country.