US-Philippines Joint Navy Drills Kick Off After Chinese Boats Allegedly Block Filipino Fishermen

The United States and the Philippines kicked off joint naval drills in the disputed South China Sea with a ceremony held Monday, a day after a local fishermen's group accused Chinese boats of blocking Filipino fishermen from entering the marine-rich lagoon of the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

"The U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Armed Forces of the Philippines joined allies to commence the seventh iteration of exercise SAMASAMA in the city of Manila, Philippines, Oct. 2nd," the 7th Fleet of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

The exercises, which will run through Oct. 13, will see naval personnel involved in a shore and sea phase exercise that integrates training for various segments such as engineering, logistics, legal concepts, public affairs and medicine.

Diving and explosive ordinance disposal teams, maritime surveillance aircraft personnel and naval vessels will conduct drills centered on surface and air warfare (ASUW and AAW), maritime domain awareness and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

This year's run of the SAMASAMA – "together" in Filipino – Exercise is the largest yet, as per the U.S. 7th feet. Aside from American and Filipino troops, the drills will also include participants from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, France, Japan, Canada and Australia.

From the U.S. side, participating assets will include P-8 Poseidon, a maritime surveillance aircraft and Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer the USS Dewy (DDG 105). From the Philippine side, the Navy's BRP Antonio Luna (FF 151) will join the drills. The JS Akebono (DD 108) will join from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF), while Canada is bringing in its Royal Canadian Navy's frigate, the HMCS Vancouver (FFG-331).

"With so many shared values, a security partnership of 77 years, and a history of military collaboration, our alliance with the Philippines enables us to build truly robust training evolutions like this one," said Capt. Sean Lewis, Commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7.

Around 700 sailors and marines from the Philippines will participate in the drills, the Philippine Navy (PN) said in a Facebook post, adding that personnel from the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut) will participate as observers.

PN Flag Officer in Command Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr. said the exercise "empowers us to refine our naval warfare capabilities, addressing various dimensions of modern naval operations from antisubmarine warfare to electronic warfare," as per a press release.

The joint U.S.-Philippines drills kicked off a day after a fishermen's group in Zambales – the closest land formation to the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal or Bajo De Masinloc in the Philippines) – accused Chinese boats of blocking Filipino fishermen in the area.

Henrelito Empoc, spokesperson of the Bigkis ng Mangingisda Federation, told DZBB Super Radyo Sunday that while Filipino fishermen can already get close to Panatag Shoal, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels are still on "standby" outside the shoal's lagoon, which is located at the center of the ring of reefs.

Empoc added that CCG rubber boats conduct patrols around the shoal. The said boats "chase away and block" Filipino fishermen who try to enter the lagoon, which is known to be rich in marine life. Meanwhile, Chinese fishermen are allegedly allowed to fish in the lagoon "freely."

Scarborough Shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao, is at the center of recently escalated tensions between Beijing and Manila after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) discovered a floating barrier in the area that Chinese maritime militia installed late last month.

The Philippines said it has removed the barrier and promised to remove any other barriers that China may install in the future.