Philippine Navy Joins First Submarine Rescue Drill in Turkey Exercise

The Philippine Fleet Submarine Group joined a multinational submarine search-and-rescue exercise in Turkey for the first time, marking a new step in its collaboration with international partners.

The event, called Exercise INVITEX 2025, took place in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea near Aksaz Naval Base from April 24 to 30. According to a Philippine Fleet statement posted Sunday night, the drill was hosted by the Turkish government and involved navies from several countries.

“During the exercise, participating navies engaged in a series of coordinated operations, planning and executing live drills aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving rescue capabilities, and strengthening international cooperation in submarine search and rescue operations,” the Philippine Fleet said.

The exercise included complex drills such as locating and identifying a distressed submarine (DISSUB), a search exercise (SEARCHEX), escape exercise (ESCAPEX), submarine parachute assistance group exercise (SPAGEX), rescue exercise (RESCUEX), ventilation exercise (VENTEX), personnel transfer under pressure exercise (PODEX), medical exercise (MEDEX), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) operations.

Capt. Angelito Diaz, commander of the Philippine Fleet Submarine Group, and Lt. Commander Benjamin Magura, Director of the Submarine Operations Center, represented the Philippines. Both officers participated in hands-on drills and directly observed key search-and-rescue procedures.

The Philippine Fleet noted that its participation was made possible by its recent membership in the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO). The group described the experience as “a valuable reference” for improving its own submarine rescue systems.

“The Fleet’s first-ever participation in this high-level training for search and rescue teams and planners, based on a generic scenario and supported by various submarine search and rescue assets, was made possible by its recent membership with the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO),” the statement read.

The Philippine Fleet added that knowledge gained from the drills will help in the development of a dedicated submarine search-and-rescue manual, which is seen as crucial to strengthening the country’s submarine capability.