US, PHL, JPN Biggest Coordinated War Games Starts in South China Sea

The longest and heaviest show of force between three military allies starts today in South China Sea. The first phase of military exercise which will be participated by Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) and Philippine Armed Forces (PAF) will officially start today and will end on June 25.

The Japan-Philippine maritime drills will be part of the visit of Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) to the Philippines from June 22 to 25, Philippine Navy spokesman Col Edgard Arevalo said.

A Japanese P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft will take part in a simulated war exercise alongside a Philippine warship and helicopter, to be held in one of the western seaboards that face the South China Sea, a source from the Navy who requested anonymity told Gulf News.

The exercises with the United States technically began on June 18, but will be formally opened only on June 22 and run till June 30. They are part of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises which Washington carries out with several South and Southeast Asian nations

During the exercises, the United States will deploy its littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth, while the Philippines will deploy the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz. Philippine Fleet public affairs officer Lt. Liezel Vidallon said the exercises would involve helicopter crash and salvage, live fire, deck landing qualification, board and seizure and weapons systems training.

Vidallon also stressed that the holding of CARAT Philippines 2015 near the South China Sea was part of regularly planned and scheduled drills had nothing to do with Manila’s ongoing dispute with China.

The exercises with Japan – only the second ever between Tokyo and Manila – will be staged separately but during the same week as the U.S. drills

Philippine Navy spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo had confirmed that the exercises will be part of a series of activities lined up for a country visit by the Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from June 22 to June 26.

Specifics of the exercises, however, still remain unclear. The Philippine Star noted that Philippine Navy spokesman Commander Lued Lincuna could not immediately provide any further details such as where the exercise would be held. But Japanese public broadcaster NHK had previously reported that the exercises will be held near the South China Sea and that the MSDF would dispatch a P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft to the drill.

Navy officials said that the two separate but coordinated exercises will give the Philippine Navy personnel the opportunity to familiarize and operate modern defense equipment from both US Navy and Japan navy.

The drill is not intended to challenge China according to officials, but to prepare for any possible disaster including search and rescue training.

The exercise is the longest and biggest drill between three allies amid the ongoing sea dispute with China.

/Oto Melara/

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