The Philippines and the United States have conducted joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, the fifth since the start of their regular cooperation in 2023. The exercises took place against the backdrop of increased military cooperation between the two allies and escalating tensions with China over the presence of its ships in the Philippine maritime zone. Writes UNN with reference to Reuters.
The Philippines and the United States have conducted joint naval exercises in the South China Sea for the fifth time, the Armed Forces of Manila announced on Sunday. This cooperation is likely to cause discontent with China.
The Philippine military said in a statement that the exercises took place on Friday and Saturday. These were the first joint maneuvers in 2024 and the fifth in total since the start of regular interaction in 2023. Under the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. security cooperation between the Philippines and the United States has significantly increased, in particular through increased access for U.S. troops to military bases, including in regions bordering Taiwan.
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group, two guided-missile destroyers, two helicopters and two F-18 Hornet aircraft took part in the exercise. The Philippine side involved the frigate Antonio Luna, the patrol ship Andres Bonifacio, two FA-50 fighters, and air force search and rescue vehicles.
Philippine military officials said the exercise strengthened “bilateral maritime cooperation and interoperability.” They also emphasized that the joint actions took place against the backdrop of the Philippines' appeal to China over the presence of Chinese coast guard ships in its maritime zone, in particular a 165-meter vessel that Manila calls a “monster” because of its size.
Recall
Earlier, China accused the Philippines of creating provocations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.