The Philippine and US coast guards joined joint military drills for the first time, expanding their cooperation in exercises held Tuesday in the South China Sea, Manila’s military said.
Though the two forces have trained together before, this marked their debut in broader combined military operations — a move hailed by Philippine forces as a step toward deeper nationwide maritime collaboration.
The drills occurred near Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, amid persistent tensions over Beijing’s sweeping and internationally rejected claims over the strategic waterway.
Participating ships included the BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua from the Philippine Coast Guard, and the US Coast Guard cutter Stratton.
