Manila: The United States is ramping up its support for Philippine operations in the South China Sea through a newly established special task force, according to a U.S. embassy official on Thursday. This initiative, known as Task Force-Ayungin, was introduced as part of a broader commitment to assist Manila with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in the contested waters.
Task Force-Ayungin, named after the Philippine designation for the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, was first highlighted by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his recent visit to the Philippines. “Task Force-Ayungin enhances U.S.-Philippine alliance coordination and interoperability by enabling U.S. forces to support Armed Forces of the Philippines activities in the South China Sea,” stated U.S. embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay.
While Gangopadhyay refrained from detailing the specific forms of support provided by the task force, he emphasized that it aligns with the growing cooperation between U.S. and Philippine forces in the region. This collaboration is seen as particularly significant as tensions in the South China Sea have escalated, with the U.S. pushing back against Beijing’s expansive territorial claims and advocating for the freedom of navigation through these vital waters, which handle over $3 trillion in annual trade.
The strengthening of defense ties between the Philippines and the United States has raised concerns in Beijing, which asserts extensive control over the South China Sea. China views Washington’s involvement in regional disputes as interference in its territorial matters. Neither U.S. Indo-Pacific Command nor the Chinese embassy in Manila provided immediate comments on the task force.
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano stressed that, despite U.S. support, Philippine operations in the South China Sea, including the resupply of troops at the Second Thomas Shoal, are independently managed. “They are providing support to us, for example, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), maritime domain awareness, but on actual direct participation, it’s purely a Philippine operation,” Ano said.
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The Philippines’ ambassador to the United States had previously clarified that the Philippines did not request U.S. assistance in resupplying troops stationed on the Sierra Madre, a warship intentionally grounded on the shoal 25 years ago to assert territorial claims. The U.S. has only been providing “visuals” to assist with these missions.
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Tensions between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes have been rising, particularly concerning the Philippine resupply missions to the Sierra Madre. China’s actions, including alleged ramming of vessels and use of water cannons against Filipino personnel, have fueled ongoing confrontations. Despite these tensions, both nations have reportedly reached a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions, with no recent altercations reported.
