MANILA: Coast Guard vessels of the Philippines and the US have taken half for the primary time in joint maritime workouts with naval and air drive models within the contested South China Sea, Manila’s armed forces stated on Wednesday (Might 21).
The workouts, held on Tuesday in waters off Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, concerned the Philippine Navy, Air Power, and Coast Guard, alongside the US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane.
The “maritime cooperative exercise”, which was the second for the yr and sixth total for the reason that allies launched the joint actions in 2023, included communication drills and search-and-rescue situations, the navy stated in a press release.
“Joint actions just like the MCA reaffirm the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ dedication to modernising its capabilities and strengthening defence partnerships to safe our nationwide and regional maritime pursuits,” AFP Chief Romeo Brawner stated.
Relations between the Philippines and China have been strained by disputes over sovereignty within the South China Sea, a conduit for greater than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.
China claims many of the strategic waterway regardless of a 2016 ruling by a global arbitral tribunal that discovered Beijing’s claims haven’t any foundation below worldwide legislation. China doesn’t recognise the choice.
