Philippines, US, Australia Conduct Joint Patrol in South China Sea, Strengthening Interoperability

Central News Agency reporter Lin Hsing-chien from Manila reported on April 13 that the Philippines, the United States, and Australia recently completed their second round of "Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity" (MMCA) joint patrol exercises in the South China Sea this year, aiming to strengthen their interoperability and jointly maintain regional security. The Philippine military announced today that the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) conducted the MMCA joint patrol exercises from April 9 to 12 in the "West Philippine Sea" (WPS). The "West Philippine Sea" is the official term used by the Philippines for the areas it claims in the South China Sea, covering its exclusive economic zone extending 200 nautical miles west from its territorial sea baseline. This area overlaps with the South China Sea claimed by China based on historical rights, leading to continuous conflicts between the two. The Philippine military pointed out that this is the second round of MMCA conducted by the Philippines with like-minded countries this year, and the 16th round in the past three years. The latest MMCA highlights "deepening trilateral defense cooperation and a shared commitment to regional security." For these exercises, the Philippine military deployed the offshore patrol vessel BRP Rajah Sulayman, FA-50 light fighter jets, W-3A Sokol multi-purpose helicopters, among others. The Coast Guard also dispatched the multi-purpose response vessel BRP Melchora Aquino. The United States mobilized the amphibious landing ship USS Ashland, while Australia sent the frigate HMAS Toowoomba, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The exercise items included maritime replenishment, rendezvous procedures, communication, maritime domain awareness, divisional tactical and officer of the watch exercises, flyovers, photography, night formation sailing, and a concluding exercise. One of the highlights of this exercise was the USS Ashland transporting equipment for the Philippine Navy's Combat Engineer Brigade from Manila to Puerto Princesa City in Palawan Province. The Philippine military described this as a substantial demonstration of the logistical interoperability between Philippine and U.S. forces. The Philippines began conducting "Maritime Cooperative Activity" (MCA) joint patrols with the United States in November 2023, which expanded to "Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity" in April 2024, inviting like-minded countries such as Japan, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to participate. The Philippine military had earlier revealed that although MMCA is named an exercise, it has gradually evolved into "an integral part of actual combat design," serving as one of the Philippines' strategies to counter China's expansion in the South China Sea. (Editor: Wei Shu) April 13, 2026