Friday’s drills at the Scarborough shoal, a traditional fishing ground within the 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines, involved the frigate BRP Antonio Luna and patrol vessels BRP Ramon Alcaraz and BRP Andres Bonifacio.
In a statement, the Philippine Navy said its unilateral exercise was “aimed at sustaining and improving the operational proficiency of both assets and personnel.”
“The conduct of this routine unilateral exercise demonstrates the importance of training as an effective tool to achieve and maintain the level of readiness and interoperability that is crucial in the fulfillment of the Navy’s mandate of securing the seas and upholding the nation’s territorial integrity,” the navy said.
During the exercise, officers and crew from the three ships participated in training focused on routine surface operations.
The Navy emphasized that personnel demonstrated their expertise and proficiency in operating and managing modern systems, ensuring the effective utilization of these combat vessels in support of the Navy’s overall mission objectives.
Lt. Commander Randy Garbo, Philippine Fleet public affairs office chief, said the routine exercise in the waters of Scarborough Shoal is vital in maintaining the readiness and interoperability that are crucial to fulfilling the Navy’s mandate of securing the seas.
“Officers and crew of the three vessels trained on routine surface operations fostering their expertise and mastery in handling and manning the modern systems toward the efficient utilization of these combat ships in support of the Navy’s overall mission.” Lt. Commander Randy Garbo
Philippine Navy spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos defended their drills as not targeted to any country, adding their activity is a normal part of the Navy’s operations.
“Normally, all warships, even those of different navies conduct regular exercises, it just so happened that the three of them were in the same vicinity so they had the opportunity to conduct warfighting exercises amongst them.” Philippine Navy spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos.
The unilateral exercise came a day after Manila and China and the Philippines have agreed during the 10th bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) in Xiamen City to uphold the “provisional arrangement” allowing unimpeded rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal.
In July last year, both countries signed the provisional agreement that covers Ayungin Shoal, to avoid altercations and ease tensions after a violent confrontation on June 17, 2024 at the Philippine-occupied area.
Earlier this month, China deployed in Scarborough Shoal its huge coast guard vessel Nicknamed “the monster” for its 165-metre (180-yard) length.
Beijing claims the majority of the South China Sea under its “10-dash line,” which significantly overlaps with the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
SeaLight director and retired US Air Force Colonel Ray Powell described deployment of the world’s largest coast guard ship as part of their ongoing effort to normalize its claims of jurisdiction.
“So it wants to send the message that the West Philippine Sea falls under China’s sovereignty and therefore it has jurisdiction to patrol. The other thing is that it wants to intimidate the Philippines by sending this extremely large vessel.” SeaLight director and retired US Air Force Colonel Ray Powell.
In 2012, Manila took Beijing to the international court after it seized Scarborough Shoal (Xianbin Jiao), a traditional fishing ground within the 200-nautical-mile EEZ.
An international tribunal eventually dismissed in 2016 China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea, including its islands, but Beijing has refused to accept the ruling.
