Phl, Japan, US hold drills off Batanes

The Philippines, Japan and the United States again sailed and patrolled the waters and skies of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) this week, where combined military forces held drills including live-fire exercises aimed at further boosting cooperation and interoperability among the three allied nations.

- By MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

Held from Feb. 20 to 26, the latest Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) saw the deployment of the Philippine Navy’ Navy's BRP Antonio Luna with an embarked AW159 helicopter, the BRP Gabriela Silang of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey of the US Indo-Pacific Command with an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force fielded its P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, which flew and patrolled the skies of the WPS alongside Philippine Air Force aircraft including FA-50 fighter jets, C-208B, A-29 Super Tucano and a Sokol search and rescue helicopter, together with a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft of the US military.

Exercises held in the WPS included a Communications Check Exercise, Maritime Domain Awareness, Replenishment at Sea, Friendly Flight/Joint Air Patrol, Fly-bys, Division Tactics/Officer of the Watch Maneuvers, Photo Exercise and an Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise.

The military said a live-fire gunnery exercise was also conducted by