(Photo courtesy of AFP) MANILA - Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Andres Centino said the combined arms live-fire exercises (CALFEX) held by "Balikatan" troops on Thursday will greatly improve the interoperability of Filipino and American forces. "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," he said in a statement Thursday night. This year's CALFEX was held at the Col. Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB) in Capas, Tarlac, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said. Centino witnessed the event at the Durungawan View Deck in CERAB. He was joined by Northern Luzon Command head Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., and Philippine exercise director Maj. Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan. Also in attendance were US Army Col. Joshua Bookout, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander; and 25th Infantry Division deputy commander for operations Col. Jeffrey Vanantwerp. Baclor said the CALFEX is among the activities under the "Balikatan" Joint Interoperability Exercise aimed at enhancing joint and combined interoperability and partner-capacity during a crisis. The CALFEX was among the highlights of this year's "Balikatan" exercises which are scheduled from March 28 to April 8. "The complex live-fire event was executed through the ground maneuver, artillery, mortars, and air elements to seize an enemy objective. Supporting air and ground combat elements worked together to provide indirect and suppressing fire to allow the main ground combat element to advance and destroy the notional enemy," Baclor said. Among the units and assets utilized were the Philippine Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team's armored personnel carriers equipped with remote control weapons systems, and 105mm howitzers; and the Philippine Air Force Super's newly acquired Embraer A-29B "Super Tucano" strike aircraft. While the US Armed Forces deployed infantry brigade combat teams, field artillery battalion with howitzers and mortars, an engineering battalion, and the US Army's high-mobility artillery rocket system. "The Combined Army Forces (CARFOR)-led drill was participated by 500 combined Philippine and United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force service members," Baclor said. (PNA) }