Philippines holds joint drills with US, Australia, Canada

MANILA, Philippines —  Teaming up for the first time, warships from Australia, Canada, the Philippines and the United States are now sailing the waters of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in a two-day Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) aimed at promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the respective air force assets of the four allied nations are also participating in the exercise scheduled Aug. 6 and 7 within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In a joint statement, Admiral David Johnston, Australian chief of Defense Force; Gen. M. A. Jennie Carignan, Canadian chief of Defense Staff; Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., AFP chief of staff and Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said the MMCA seeks to “uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The ranking military officials announced yesterday that the joint sail demonstrates “our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

They declared that the naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together, enhancing cooperation and interoperability between the four armed forces.

“We stand together to address common maritime challenges and underscore our shared dedication to upholding international law and the rules-based order,” the military officials said. “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.”

The AFP said the exercise will feature a variety of naval and air assets from the participating nations, with the Philippines fielding the BRP Jose Rizal with a AW159 helicopter and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

Australia’s involvement features a Poseidon Aircraft and Canada deployed the HMCS Montreal and a Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.

The AFP added that the United States military contributed the USS Lake Erie and a Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter for