PH holds West Philippine Sea drills with 3 key allies

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The Philippines and its closest security partners the United States, Australia, and Japan on Sunday conducted their first-ever joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid China’s increasing aggression in those waters.

The multilateral “maritime cooperative activity” (MMCA) was held a few days ahead of the first trilateral summit of the leaders of the Philippines, United States, and Japan in Washington DC, where the South China Sea is expected to be one of the priority issues during the meeting.

In this handout photo taken and received on April 7, 2024 from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), shows participating ships displaying their station-keeping skills with precision as they manuever into different formations as part of the Division Tactics / Officer of the Watch manuever during the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity between the Philippines, US, Australia and Japan, in South China Sea.Handout / Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) / AFP

In this photo taken on April 7, 2024, from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), shows participating ships displaying their station-keeping skills with precision as they maneuver into different formations as part of the Division Tactics / Officer of the Watch maneuver during the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity between the Philippines, US, Australia and Japan, in South China Sea. (Handout from the Armed Forces of the Philippines via Agence France-Presse)

The Philippines and its closest security partners the United States, Australia, and Japan on Sunday conducted their first-ever joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid China’s increasing aggression in those waters.

The multilateral “maritime cooperative activity” (MMCA) was held a few days ahead of the first trilateral summit of the leaders of the Philippines, United States, and Japan in Washington DC, where the South China Sea is expected to be one of the priority issues during the meeting.

Sunday’s exercises involved the Philippine Navy’s frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) with antisubmarine warfare AW159 helicopter and patrol ship BRP Valentin Diaz (PS-177), the US Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Mobile (LCS-26), the Royal Australian Navy’s frigate HMAS Warramunga (FFH-152), and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyer JS Akebono (DD-108). The United States and Australia each deployed a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. “This activity was designed to enhance the different forces, abilities to work together” so, China adhere to the UNCLOS ruling for a peaceful resolution of WPS

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