Philippines conducts first trilateral drills with Japanese, US navies in South China Sea

From IHS Janes 360 (Oct 26): Philippines conducts first trilateral drills with Japanese, US navies in South China Sea

The Philippine Navy (PN) hosted joint naval exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy near disputed waters in the South China Sea, a spokesperson from the PN naval public affairs office confirmed with IHS Jane's on 24 October.

The exercises, which took place from 22-23 October, consisted of live gunnery exercises, manoeuvring drills and a practice of the newly ratified naval protocol known as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES). The protocol, which aims to prevent maritime tensions from escalating into conflict, was ratified unanimously by 25 Asia-Pacific countries at the 14th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) held in China earlier this year.

The naval public affairs office confirmed that the drills were the first time the PN had practised with the protocol and participated in joint naval exercises with both the US and Japan.

The drills involved JMSDF Takanami-class guided missile destroyer Sazanami (DD 113) and the USN's Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54), the latter of which is in the Philippines as part of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington 's (CVN 73) strike group. The carrier is currently docked in Manila on a routine port call and was not involved in the exercises. The PN's sole vessel to take part in the drill was the Pilar (Hamilton and Hero)-class frigate Gregorio del Pilar (PF 15).

Naval spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Marineth Domingo earlier told reporters that the drills would be conducted near disputed waters as it was the most convenient location considering the strike group's itinerary. She denied that the drills were conducted to send a signal of the Philippine's claims to China.

Manila and Beijing are currently locked in a sovereignty dispute over several islands and reefs in the South China Sea, a body of water that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. Earlier this year, the Philippines filed a memorandum against Chinese claims in the area before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, claiming that China has illegally occupied a number of reefs claimed by both Manila and Beijing. China has described these moves as injurious to bilateral relations.

The US Embassy in the Philippines referred to George Washington 's visit to Manila on 23 October as one that: "highlights the historic and military connections between the Philippines and the United States" but did not comment on the trilateral naval exercises.

http://www.janes.com/article/45034/philippines-conducts-first-trilateral-drills-with-japanese-us-navies-in-south-china-sea