Manila: For the first time, coast guard vessels from the Philippines and the United States have participated in joint maritime exercises alongside naval and air force units in the contested waters of the South China Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Wednesday.
The latest round of exercises took place on Tuesday off the coasts of Palawan and Occidental Mindoro. They involved coordinated efforts by the Philippine Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, together with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton and a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Described as a “maritime cooperative activity” (MCA), this operation marks the second such exercise held this year and the sixth overall since both countries launched the initiative in 2023. The drills included communication protocols and search-and-rescue scenarios, highlighting increased interoperability between the two nations’ maritime forces.
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“Joint activities like the MCA reaffirm the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ commitment to modernising its capabilities and strengthening defence partnerships to secure our national and regional maritime interests,” AFP Chief Romeo Brawner stated.
The exercises come amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea, a region critical to global trade, with over $3 trillion worth of goods transiting through its waters annually.
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Relations between Manila and Beijing have grown increasingly strained due to overlapping territorial claims. China continues to assert sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that dismissed its claims as lacking legal basis. Beijing has refused to recognise the ruling.
The joint drills underscore Manila’s strategic pivot toward enhanced defense cooperation with Washington, particularly as the Philippines seeks to assert its maritime rights and bolster regional security in the face of persistent Chinese incursions.
