Philippines, US forces hold joint military exercises in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines —  Philippine and United States forces held a joint military exercise in Philippine waters on Wednesday as defense and foreign officials of the two countries concluded their meeting in Manila.

The two allies’ Maritime Cooperative Activity was held within the country’s exclusive economic zone specifically in the waters west of Palawan, involving the USS Mobile and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo met with US defense chief Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for their 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, held for the first time in Manila.

The joint maneuver included a series of events aimed at enhancing communication and operational coordination between the navies of the Philippine and the US. The activities included communications check exercise, division tactics, officer of the watch maneuver exercise, photographic exercise and cross deck exercise.

“By conducting these exercises, both navies aim to improve their readiness and ability to operate together in ensuring maritime security and stability in the region,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement.

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. emphasized the significance of cooperative activities in maintaining regional peace and security.

“These joint exercises with our ally are crucial in enhancing our naval capabilities and ensuring that we can effectively collaborate to safeguard our maritime interests,” Brawner said.

During his visit to the Philippine Navy headquarters in Subic, Austin underscored US-Philippines shared priorities of further strengthening maritime security and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“Today, we saw some of our industrial base companies out here working together to create additional capability, and that’s also very exciting,” he added.

After arriving in Manila on Tuesday, Austin and Blinken met with President Marcos during which they reaffirmed US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights.

“You’ve seen us announce a number of key initiatives. Yesterday you heard us talk about the $500 million in [foreign military financing] opportunity here that