Philippine and American naval forces have completed their eighth bilateral maritime training exercise in strategic waters stretching from Zambales to Occidental Mindoro.

The location near Mindoro holds particular strategic importance, positioned close to major shipping lanes and within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the disputed South China Sea.

The Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on Wednesday involved warships from both nations sailing in formation off Cabra Island in Occidental Mindoro – the fourth such exercise this year since the program began in 2023.

The Philippine Navy deployed its guided missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar, alongside Coast Guard patrol vessels BRP Cabra and BRP Suluan.

The United States contributed the USS Curtis Wilbur, a guided missile destroyer, along with a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The exercise route covered strategic waters from Palauig in Zambales province to Cabra Island off Occidental Mindoro, an area increasingly strategic as both nations seek to strengthen their maritime partnership in contested waters.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner said the drills showed “a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

The training encompassed a range of operational scenarios, including communications exercises to test coordination protocols, maritime domain awareness operations, and contact reporting procedures.

Philippine Coast Guard units conducted visit, board, search and seizure operations to demonstrate law enforcement capabilities at sea.

Both navies practised division tactics and officer-of-the-watch manoeuvres, allowing crews to rehearse coordinated ship movements and formation sailing.

The exercise was the fourth for the year and eighth overall since the drills began in 2023, manifesting the deepening security cooperation between the Philippines and USA as both nations navigate rising conflicts in the South China Sea.

The Maritime Cooperative Activities are an expansion of Philippine-US naval cooperation, with previous exercises having included participation from other regional allies including Japan and Australia.

Photos: courtesy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines