The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Navy have conducted a bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity in the South China Sea.
The joint exercise aimed to strengthen regional and international cooperation while increasing deterrence “in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” stated the US Navy.
The drills focused on enhancing interoperability between the two navies and strengthening military tactics, techniques, and procedures.
“The US and the Philippines are ironclad allies,” said US Rear Adm. Michael Wosje. “As fellow maritime nations, we share the common goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The Philippines deployed a Gregorio del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessel and a Jose Rizal-class guided-missile frigate.
Meanwhile, the US Navy’s contribution included several guided-missile destroyers, a P-8A Poseidon, and the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, operating in the US 7th Fleet area, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet.
The US 7th Fleet can deploy up to 70 ships and submarines, 150 aircraft, and more than 27,000 sailors and marines.
Philippine-China Tensions
In recent months, military activities have increased in the Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China.
Manila and Beijing have long disputed maritime rights and ownership of reefs and islets in the South China Sea.
Last week, the Philippines expressed concerns about Chinese coast guard patrols near Manila’s western shores.
The Philippine Coast Guard responded by deploying two military vessels to pressure the Chinese ship “to move further away from the coast of Zambales,” said Jay Tarriela, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman.
Earlier this month, Manila reported the recovery of a suspected Chinese submarine drone, found 9 kilometers (6 miles) off the coast of the central Philippines, raising concerns about “potential national security implications.”
