The navies of the Philippines, the USA, and Japan have completed four-day joint exercises in the South China Sea, aimed at strengthening their trilateral defense partnership. The event, held from February 20 to 26, 2026, was part of Manila's broader strategy to engage international allies to protect its sovereign rights in the resource-rich region amid ongoing territorial claims by China. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
As part of the 15th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA), the Philippine side deployed the frigate BRP "Antonio Luna" along with helicopters and FA-50 fighter jets. Japan delegated a P-3C Orion aircraft for patrolling, while the United States was represented by the guided-missile destroyer USS "Dewey" and a P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft.
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The exercise program included complex elements of replenishment at sea, joint air patrols near the Bashi Strait, and tactical maneuver drills to test the interoperability of the fleets.
Geopolitical significance and response to external threats
The Philippine Armed Forces Command emphasized that these exercises underscore the partners' unwavering commitment to strengthening maritime security and enhancing awareness in the region.
During the exercises, the presence of Chinese Navy ships was recorded, but incidents were avoided thanks to the professional actions of the crews. Such activities are taking place against the backdrop of Beijing's refusal to recognize the 2016 international arbitration ruling that annulled its claims to most of the waters, and are a continuation of a series of February exercises that the Philippines also conducted jointly with Australia.