Joint Commander of the French Armed Forces in Asia-Pacific concludes first visit to Manila
Rear Admiral Jean-Mathieu Rey, Joint Commander of the French Armed Forces in the Asia-Pacific (ALPACI), has concluded his two-day working visit in Manila to meet Filipino military and defense officials and to highlight France’s commitment in favor of a free, safe, and open Indo-Pacific based on respect for international law and multilateralism.
Last March 7 and 8, Rear Admiral Rey held separate meetings with Philippine Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice-Admiral Adeluis Bordado, Philippine Coast Guard Commander Vice-Admiral Artemio Abu, Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice-Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Erickson Gloria, and Philippine Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Nichols Driz.
During these meetings, the military officials affirmed their willingness to expand operational bilateral engagement between the French and Philippine armed forces in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), and discussed the possibility of conducting joint patrols in the EEZs to develop our interoperability.
“With the Philippines, we share a common interest in areas such as humanitarian assistance. We are under the same threat of natural disasters in our overseas territories. The second domain is the protection of our exclusive economic zone. We share the same necessity to protect our resources in our EEZs against threats such as illegal fishing,” Rear Admiral Rey said.
The French Joint Commander also addressed the National Defense College of the Philippines where he highlighted France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the importance of strengthening cooperation with France’s partners in the region in order to maintain a rules-based regional order.
Based in French Polynesia, Rear Admiral Rey leads the joint French armed forces operating in the Asia-Pacific, contributing to the protection of France’s territories and its 1.6 million citizens in the Indo-Pacific region.
Composed of assets from the French Navy, the French Air & Space Force, and regiments from the French Marine Infantry, this joint force also works with its partners in the region in carrying out France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, particularly in ensuring respect of international law, the freedom of navigation, promoting multilateralism, and fighting against nuclear proliferation.
In the Asia-Pacific, ALPACI conducts several activities, including exercises on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), amphibious exercises, and the regular deployment of air and naval assets.
French frigate “Le Vendémiaire” makes port call in Manila
Last March 8, the Floréal-class light surveillance frigate “Vendémiaire” arrived in Manila from Vietnam as part of its routine mission to demonstrate freedom of navigation and enable interactions between French and Filipino navy officers.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, together with senior officers of the Philippine Navy headquarters, toured the French vessel in the presence of Ambassador Michèle Boccoz and Rear Admiral Rey.
While docked in Manila until March 11, the Vendémiaire will participate in a humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) preparedness activity with the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, following the EU Crimario training mission in the Philippines last month.
The Vendémiaire last held a port visit to the Philippines in 2021.
Under the command of Commander Alain Gaborit, the Vendémiaire has an overall length of 93.5 meters, a beam of 14.1 meters, and a draft of 4.3 meters, and is equipped with an anti-surface gun, anti-air gun, and rapid guns. The Vendémiaire is based in Nouméa, New Caledonia.
French frigates sailing overseas have been designed to carry out surveillance and humanitarian missions, as well as enforce French interests away from the mainland. These include: 1) surveillance of overseas areas under French sovereignty (EEZ surveillance, fisheries protection, and anti-smuggling); 2) maritime domain awareness and police patrol (anti-pollution, medical and logistics assistance); 3) fostering maritime cooperation with allies in the area; and 4) humanitarian action.
The French Indo-Pacific Strategy
France is a nation of the Indo-Pacific through its overseas territories (New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Mayotte, La Réunion, and Wallis and Futuna). The region is home to 1.6 million French citizens, as well as 8,000 soldiers stationed in the region. France has the 2nd largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the world (10.2 million km²), more than 90% of which is located in the Indo-Pacific.
Recognizing the geopolitical and economic importance of the region, France became the first country of the European Union to publish its Indo-Pacific strategy in September 2018. It is likewise a major promoter of the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy that was launched in September 2021.
The French Indo-Pacific Strategy aims to promote a stable, rules-based, multipolar order and commits to the deepening of France’s engagement in the region. It provides a framework for developing cooperation with its partners, including the Philippines and the ASEAN, in order to jointly provide common solutions to global challenges such as ensuring maritime security, fighting climate change, and protecting biodiversity.
“France is a country of the Indo-Pacific, and we are here to stay. This is a long-term commitment and we want to walk the talk. We do this by having the presence of the French Armed Forces here and developing our relationship with their counterparts in the Philippines,” French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz said.