In late July, combat vessels from the United States and Philippine navies conducted a Maritime Cooperation Activity (MCA) in the South China Sea. These activities, which U.S. naval forces regularly perform with other allies in the Indo-Pacific region, aim to demonstrate the strategic importance of the area to the U.S., given China’s strong presence and territorial claims in the region, which overlap with those of other countries and create potential points of conflict.
The naval assets involved in this alliance reaffirmation and regional security mission included the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Mobile (LCS 26), assigned to Destroyer Squadron 7 (DESRON 7) of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, and the Gregorio del Pilar-class patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS 16) of the Philippine Navy.
These Maritime Cooperation Activities are part of both countries’ strategy to strengthen cooperation and enhance their response capabilities for regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. In this context, the U.S. Seventh Fleet emphasized that surface operations and bilateral communications were carried out.
However, these activities are not only significant for the U.S. Navy and its Seventh Fleet, as the Philippines has faced hostile operations near its coasts and archipelagos by China, particularly focusing on the Paracel and Spratly Islands with competing claims. This has led the Philippines to seek increased training and joint exercises with other countries. Notably, these include combined exercises with the navies of Australia, France, Japan, and the United States in the South China Sea or within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as with the air forces of France and the Philippines.
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