THE US and Philippine navies held naval drills in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea on Wednesday, further bolstering the interoperability of the two sides amid tension between the Philippines and China in the disputed area.
The exercise, held within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, was conducted a day after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a “once-in-a-generation” $500 million security assistance to the Philippines to help modernize the Armed Forces and the Philippine Coast Guard which are playing key roles in upholding Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea.
China warned the Philippines against the $500-million assistance from the US, and told the US not to interfere in the territorial dispute.
“The Philippines needs to see that ganging up with countries outside the region to engage in confrontation in the South China Sea will only destabilize the region and create more tensions. To seek security assurance from external forces will only lead to greater insecurity and turn oneself into someone else’s chess piece,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
“China made clear its position on the military cooperation between the US and the Philippines more than once. The US is not a party to the issue of the South China Sea and has no right to interfere in the maritime issues between China and the Philippines,” he added.
The naval drills held by the US and the Philippines last Wednesday, called maritime cooperative captivity (MCA), involved the US Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Mobile and the Philippine Navy’s patrol ship BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the Armed Forces said.
“These joint exercises with our ally are crucial in enhancing our naval capabilities and ensuring that we can effectively collaborate to safeguard our maritime interests,” AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr said.
“The partnership between the Philippine Navy and the United States Navy continues to be a pillar of regional stability,” added Brawner.
AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the exercises were designed to “enhance communication and operational coordination between the two navies.”
“These events comprised a communications check exercise, division tactics, officer of the watch maneuver exercise, photographic exercise, and cross deck exercise,” Trinidad said in a statement.
The two sides have held four MCAs in the West Philippine Sea since November last year, including last Wednesday’s activity.
They also figured in two multilateral MCAs — one with Japan and Australia in April, and the other with Japan and Canada last June.
Trinidad said no Chinese vessel was monitored near the exercise area during the latest MCA. The past MCAs have been shadowed by Chinese vessels.
“No Chinese vessel was detected in the exercise area, both by visual and radar monitoring,” said Trinidad.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for WPS, said no ship of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy and the Chinese Coast Guard, or maritime militia vessels were monitored during the MCA.
He also said the MCA provided Philippine and US warships the opportunity “to operate together, conduct communications inter-operability, ship to ship activities and aviation cross deck rehearsals.”
“MCAs will become a regular activity of the Philippine Navy and other like-minded navies as we continue to develop our own capabilities,” he added.
Colonel Trinidad said the primary objective of the MCA is “to strengthen the interoperability and cooperative capabilities of the Philippine Navy and the United States Navy.”
“By conducting these exercises, both navies aim to improve their readiness and ability to operate together in ensuring maritime security and stability in the region,” Trinidad also said.
He said the successful execution of the MCA underscores the two countries’ strong defense ties and commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
TOUR
Austin toured a Philippine Navy facility and several defense industrial sites which the US defense department said was a “way to highlight opportunities there for defense industrial cooperation by the United States, the Philippines, and other regional allies and partners.”
“This is a really transformative time for our relationship, our alliance here,” Austin said in the US defense department statement.
Noting the $500-million assistance to the Philippines, Austin said: “We’re excited about that, and that’s going to help them (Philippines) modernize their military a bit further.”
“[And] today we saw some of our industrial base companies out here working together to create additional capability, and that’s also very, very exciting,” said Austin, referring to his visit at Subic Bay.
Philippine Navy spokesman Commander John Percie Alcos said Austin visited the its Naval Operating Base in Subic.
Alcos said Austin’s visit to Subic was meant to “assess the industrial capabilities of companies in Subic Bay that will contribute to Philippine military’s modernization and their capacity to maintain ships of partner nations in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Alcos said Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr expressed his “deep appreciation” to Austin’s visit. He said the visit was a clear manifestation of US support to the Philippine Navy.
“Vice Admiral Adaci affirmed the Philippine Navy’s support to all endeavors and activities that would further reinforce the longstanding defense alliance between the US and the Philippines. He also discussed with the visiting Secretary possible areas collaboration between the forces of the Philippine Navy and their American counterparts,” said Alcos.
Alcos said the Philippine Navy “remains committed to enhancing the PH-US partnership that stands as a strong pillar for security and stability in the region.”
CHINESE VESSELS
The Philippine Navy reported an increase in the number of Chinese vessels at several features in the West Philippine Sea from July 23 to 29, compared to the previous week.
There were 104 vessels monitored during the period — 87 maritime militia vessels, 11 Coast Guard vessels and six Navy ships, the Navy said.
The number increased from 80 from the previous week (July 16 to 22) — 69 maritime militia vessels, nine Coast Guard vessels and two Navy ships.
Thirty of the 104 vessels were monitored at Pag-asa Island (29 maritime militia vessels and one Coast Guard vessel, while there were 29 vessels sighted at Iroquois Reef (all maritime vessels).
There were 19 vessels spotted at Ayungin Shoal (14 maritime militia vessels, four Coast Guard vessels and one Navy ship), and 11 vessels were seen at Scarborough Shoal (six maritime militia vessels, four Coast Guard vessels and one Navy ship).
The rest of the vessels were monitored at Sabina Shoal (five maritime militia vessels, three Navy ships, and two Coast Guard vessels), Lawak Island (two maritime militia vessels), Panata Island (one maritime militia vessel and one Navy ship), and Kota Island (one maritime militia vessel). — With Ashzel Hachero
