PH eyes sea drills with France, Italy, UK

General Romeo Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP). PHOTO FROM AFP FB PAGE

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is eyeing joint maritime drills with France, Italy and the United Kingdom as Chinese ships continue to swarm various parts of the West Philippines Sea (WPS), Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Management Association of the Philippines forum in Taguig City, Brawner said the move was “a good sign because it means we share interests and we have common objectives.”

He made the announcement as the Philippines, United States, and Canada held the 7th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity in the WPS.

“We are looking forward to having more of this with other countries such as Italy, UK, and France,” according to Brawner, who said on Wednesday that Chinese vessels in the WPS have increased from a daily average of 190 vessels in 2021 to 286 in 2024.

Fostering collective security

The joint drills on Wednesday, which started at 9:23 a.m. and ended at 4:30 p.m., focused on enhancing coordination and interoperability, including antisubmarine training target exercise, said Col. Xerxes Trinidad, the AFP public affairs chief, in a statement.

The maritime exercise on Wednesday was held in the operational area of the Northern Luzon Command in the WPS, according to the AFP.

Brawner said the joint drills showed the AFP’s “commitment to enhancing regional stability and maritime security,” adding that “these strategic partnerships strengthen our interoperability and foster a collective security in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Trinidad said the AFP deployed the BRP Andres Bonifacio, Beechcraft King Air C90 aircraft, and Philippine Air Force Search and Rescue assets during the joint sail.

He also said that Canada deployed the HMCS Ottawa, while the United States was involved in the planning and presail conference as well as monitoring the activity.

During the joint sail, three Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ships, one oceanographic surveillance ship, and one helicopter were “monitored from a distance.”

The safety of participating countries during the conduct of the exercise is important.

“Established and agreed upon protocols were observed, and all have their respective rules of [engagement] for any adverse situation,” Trinidad said.

The drills proceeded as planned, he added, as the monitored Chinese ships did not interfere during the drills.