MANILA – Philippine military units and their counterparts from Australia, Canada and the United States held a "multilateral maritime cooperative activity" (MMCA) on Wednesday within Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which includes the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
A joint statement signed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.; Australian Chief of Defense Force, Adm. David Johnston; Canadian Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Jennie Carignan; and US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo said the drill would run until Thursday.
It said the MMCA aims to demonstrate the four nations' "collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific".
It added naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together, enhancing cooperation and interoperability between their respective Armed Forces.
"The activity will be conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States," the joint statement read.
It added the four participating countries uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace.
Aside from this, the MMCA participants respect maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"We stand together to address common maritime challenges and underscore our shared dedication to upholding international law and the rules-based order. Our four nations reaffirm the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award as a final and legally binding decision on the parties to the dispute," it added.
Meanwhile, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the MMCA is being conducted in the WPS, when asked for clarification on the exercise's location.
Trinidad also declined to give details on the participating ships or aircraft as the MMCA is still ongoing.
First time for 4 nations
Meanwhile, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said this is the first MMCA of the four countries.
"The activity is the first involving all four countries, was conducted in our EEZ and w/in the bounds of international law. It supports the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling of a free and a free and open Indo-Pacific," he added.
Trinidad also said the MMCA is not aimed against any particular country but a collective expression of support for a rules-based international order.
The AFP, meanwhile, said the exercise features a variety of naval and air assets from the participating nations.
It added that the Philippine contingent included the missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) with a AW-159 "Wildcat" anti-submarine helicopter and the offshore patrol vessel, BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16).
Australia, meanwhile, deployed a Poseidon Aircraft (P-8A) while Canada sent the HMCS Montreal (FFH-336) and a Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.
Representing the US are the USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and a Sikorsky MH-60R "Seahawk" helicopter.
The MMCA is a series of events designed to enhance interoperability and cooperation among the participating forces.
Among them are the pre-sail briefing, communication exercise, division tactics/officer of the watch maneuver, photographic exercise, cross deck landing operations, anti-submarine warfare exercise, replenishment at sea, contact reporting/maritime domain awareness, and a final exercise.
Brawner lauded the exercise, emphasizing its importance in strengthening regional security and fostering cooperation with allies and international partners.
"This multilateral exercise underscores the commitment of our nations to ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. By working together, we enhance our collective capabilities and demonstrate our shared dedication to maintaining a secure maritime environment," he added.
No Chinese military activity
As this developed, the AFP said that initial reports indicated no trace of China's military activity in the Bajo de Masinloc (BDM) as of Wednesday.
"This is aside from the usual illegal encroachment and presence of Chinese maritime militia vessels, we have not monitored any purported exercise or combat patrols," Trinidad said.
The AFP issued this statement after some reports claimed that Chinese military units held exercises in the vicinity of BDM.
"We can, however, confirm the presence of three PLA Navy vessels, namely PLA-Navy Wuzhou (FSG-626) Jiangdao II class corvette, PLA-Navy Huangshan (FFG-570) Jiankai II class corvette, and PLA-Navy Quijing (FSG-668) Jiangdao II Class Corvette, that tailed the ongoing MMCA," he added.
Trinidad also said that the most recent Chinese exercise in the northern part of the South China Sea took place from July 31 to Aug. 2.
However, this exercise occurred outside the Philippines' EEZ.
"The AFP, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and other relevant agencies, will continue to monitor the situation as part of our mandate to protect our territory, sovereignty, and sovereign rights based on international law," Trinidad said. (PNA)
