UNITED States and Philippine bomber planes and fighter aircraft yesterday held joint patrols and intercept training in the West Philippine Sea, including at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal.
The one-day activity shows the strong relations between the two countries, the military said.
“It’s the first exercise under the current administration of the US government,” Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
Asked what the activity indicates in terms of the military relations between the two countries, Trinidad said, “We have had very strong relationships with the US ever since.”
“Our people-to-people, our military-to-military activities are strong. They have been established over a long period of time. We expect them to remain that way,” he added.
The exercise involved two B-1 bomber planes from US Pacific Air Forces and three FA-50 fighter jets from the Philippine Air Force (PAF), said PAF spokesperson Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo.
Castillo said the aircraft performed joint patrols, air intercept training and photo exercises in the West Philippine Sea, within the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
“This exercise is a crucial step in enhancing our interoperability, improving air domain awareness and agile combat employment and supporting our shared bilateral air objectives,” said Castillo.
Castillo said the activity was e conducted within an intensive military training area which she said includes Scarborough Shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Zambales.
China gained control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipinos from fishing the shoal’s lagoon.
Castillo said the exercises, like previous air drills between US and Philippine air forces, are in keeping with the international rules-based order. These are aimed at enhancing operational coordination, improving air domain awareness, and reinforcing agile combat employment capabilities between the two air forces, she also said.
“By conducting these exercises, both air forces refined their tactical and operational strategies while working to meet shared air defense objectives and operational goals,” said Castillo.
B-1 bomber planes are more advanced than the B-52 bombers planes which the US have deployed to take part in previous air drills with the Philippine Air Force.
Castillo said she could not recall an instance when the US sent its B-1 bombers in the Philippines to take part in a military exercise.
Asked yesterday afternoon if there was any challenge from China, Castillo said, “There was no radio challenge from or sightings of PLA (People’s Liberation Army) aircraft.”
Meanwhile, the military said three Chinese Navy vessels violated rules on innocent passage during their transit in Philippine waters on Monday.
The Chinese ships — a frigate, cruiser and replenishment oiler — were first monitored in the West Philippine Sea. They travelled southward and moved at a speed of six knots (11.1 kph), passing through Basilan Channel, towards Indonesia.
They were tracked by Philippine Navy and Air Force aircraft, the military said, adding that radio challenges were also issued against the Chinese ships.
As of 7:30 a.m. yesterday, Trinidad said the Chinese vessels were about 120 nautical miles south of Basilan. “They are moving out of our exclusive economic zone,” he said.
Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command, said the Chinese vessels were “within our boundary with Indonesia” as of yesterday afternoon.
“They are going towards Indonesia,” said Nafarrete.
Trinidad said the Chinese vessels, during the radio challenges, said they were merely exercising freedom of navigation and innocent passage.
Asked for the violations of the Chinese vessels, Trinidad said: “The violation is that they travel through our archipelagic waters was not expeditious.”
“They could have travelled at a faster speed. There were instances in the central part of Sulu Sea that they slowed down to five to six knots,” he added.
He said the Chinese vessels, during radio challenges, did not provide information as to their origin and destination.
“They only mentioned that they were exercising a freedom of navigation and innocent passage without identifying themselves stating where they came from or where they’re heading to,” said Trinidad.
Trinidad surmised the vessels were on the way to Indonesia to take part in the upcoming military exercise “Komodo” which will involve at least 37 countries.
Apart from Indonesia and China, some of the countries involved in the exercise are Philippines, United States, Japan, Australia, France, India, United Kingdom, and South Korea.