For the first time, the Philippine and U.S. coast guards joined joint military drills in the South China Sea as part of broader exercises between the two allies, according to Manila’s armed forces. The “maritime cooperative activity” took place on Tuesday in waters near Palawan and Occidental Mindoro in the western Philippines. While the two coast guards have conducted joint activities before, this marked their first participation in combined military drills, reflecting what the Philippine military described as a growing whole-of-nation approach to maritime cooperation. The Philippine side deployed the BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua, while the U.S. coast guard fielded the cutter Stratton. The exercises occurred amid ongoing tensions in the region, where Beijing maintains sweeping territorial claims that have been rejected by international rulings.
