Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Sabrah light tanks of the Philippine Army participate in a combined arms exxercise in Capas, Tarlac on March 7, 2025. Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741346619853Sabrah-light-tanks.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sabrah light tanks of the Philippine Army participate in a combined arms exxercise in Capas, Tarlac on March 7, 2025. Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span>CAPAS, Tarlac — For the first time, the Philippine Army used its newly-acquired Sabrah light tanks in the live fire phase of Combined Arms Training Exercise “Katihan” at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac on Friday.</div><p>The live fire drills aimed to test the Army’s enhanced capabilities for combined arms operations.</p><p>“A combined arms live fire exercise is where we schedule all the indirect fire and direct fire weapons prior to the assault. So, as part of the overarching scenario before the infantry assaults objective, we subject the targets to both indirect and direct fire—it’s a combination of artillery, mortars and guns from our tanks,” Brig. Gen. Michael Logico, CATEX Katihan exercise director,  told reporters in Tarlac.</p><p>The Sabrah light tanks were armed with 105 mm cannons.   </p><p>The Philippine Army formally accepted the Israeli-made tanks last year. The acquisition was part of Horizon 2 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program.</p><p>Other major assets of the Army such as the ATMOS 105 mm Howitzers, and 81 mm and 60 mm mortars were also used during the exercise.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1897949373675585846&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-03-07T10%3A13%3A05.363671%3A40a0a95c-528e-4b52-ace6-6623d4cd7736%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=f1bb9cd445c7741f39272690010db4faaca1a759&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:672px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1897949373675585846"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Logico said the drills will boost the Army’s readiness to repel threats, at the same time further improve its various units’ precision and tactical proficiency.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/9/us-missile-system-used-for-simulated-firing-drill-in-philippines-906">US missile system used for &#x27;simulated firing&#x27; drill in Philippines</a></div><p>“For ground operations, it’s a combination of infantry, artillery and armed units working side by side. Part of it is not only testing the capability of these arms, but also how they work together as part of a combined arms team,” Logico noted.</p><p>“Any armor platform provides you the advantages of speed, firepower and protection. These are essential capabilities that you need, especially if you’re going to mobile warfare. They are lethal in both the offense and the defense.”</p><p>He went on, “When you are already doing this at the component level, you can lead that up to the joint exercises together with the maritime and air forces.”</p><div><strong>SINKING EXERCISE IN BALIKATAN 2025</strong></div><p>The CATEX Katihan also paves way for the Army’s preparation and participation in the Salaknib Exercise with the US Army, as well as the Balikatan Exercise between the armed forces of the two countries.</p><p>This year’s Balikatan will involve a full-scale battle test, according to Logico.</p><p>“We will be executing the concept of operations for our bilateral defense of the sovereignty of the Philippines,” Logico said.</p><p>“There will be participation of the Australian Defense Force and Japan Self-Defense Forces,” he added. “We will also be having a more robust participation of observers coming from Europe and ASEAN.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/8/balikatan-2024-ph-us-forces-sink-made-in-china-ship-off-ilocos-norte-1648">Balikatan 2024: PH, US forces sink ‘made in China’ ship off Ilocos Norte</a></div><p>The official also confirmed that the Balikatan will once again include a maritime strike exercise, where Filipino and American troops will sink a vessel representing an enemy force.</p><p>The sinking exercise will be conducted in waters beyond the 12-nautical mile territorial sea of the country.</p><p>Last year, the AFP and USAF successfully sank the “made in China” ship BRP Lake Caliraya off the coast of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte after over two hours of being targeted by various naval, aerial and ground assets.</p>

<p>For the first time, the Philippine Army used its newly-acquired Sabrah light tanks in the live fire phase of Combined Arms Training Exercise “Katihan” at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac on Friday.</p>

For the first time, the Philippine Army used its newly-acquired Sabrah light tanks in the live fire phase of Combined Arms Training Exercise “Katihan” at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac on Friday.

Israeli Sabrah tanks used for first time in PH Army’s live fire exercise

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Israeli Sabrah tanks used for first time in PH Army’s live fire exercise

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 07, 2025 07:30 PM PHT

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Philippine Army

Sabrah light tank

Combined Arms Training Exercise Katihan

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