Sinaksihan ni AFP chief of staff General Andres Centino, kasama sina Northern Luzon commander Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr. at Balikatan 2022 Philippine Exercise Director Major General Charlton Sean Gaerlan, ang isinagawang Combined Arms live-fire Exercise (CALFEX) sa Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base sa Capas, Tarlac.
Sa panig ng US, dumalo sa nasabing event kahapon si U.S. Army Colonel Joshua Bookout, commander ng 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Colonel Jeffrey Vanantwerp, Deputy Commander for Operations ng 25th Infantry Division ng US Army.
Ang CALFEX ang isa sa mga tampok na aktibidad sa ika-37 RP-US joint military exercise Balikatan 2022.
Kabilang sa mga lumahok sa ehersisyo ang Philippine Army 1st Brigade Combat Team gamit ang Armoured Personnel Carriers na may remote control weapons system, at 105MM howitzers; at Philippine Air Force Super Tucano planes.
Dineploy naman ng US military ang kanilang Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, Field Artillery Battalion na may howitzers at mortars, isang Engineering Battalion, at ang High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System ng US Army.
Ayon kay Gen. Centino, bukod sa paghasa ng inter-operability ng mga Pilipino at Amerikanong sundalo, ang pagsasanay ay maganda ring pagkakataon para masubukan ang mga modernong armas na binili ng AFP.
“We conducted the CALFEX to improve our interoperability during combined and joint operations. This is one way of ensuring that we can operate jointly with our allies. This also serves as an opportunity for us as we are procuring new equipment; we are able to test our new weapons and armaments,” pahayag pa ni General Centino.
