France joins US-Philippines war games for the first time

Analysts say move shows solidarity of US and allies in backing Manila’s S. China Sea claims

- Mara Cepeda

MANILA The French Navy has joined the annual war games between the Philippines and the US for the first time in 2024, in a move that analysts say demonstrates the solidarity among Washington and its allies in backing Manila's claims over the disputed South China Sea.

France's Floreal-class frigate FS Vendemiaire began its 10-day multilateral maritime exercise alongside the Philippines' offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz and landing dock BRP Davao del Sur, as well as the US' landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry on April 25.

The vessels will be conducting various maritime drills within the eastern parts of the South China Sea that lie in the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, where tensions have been boiling in the past months between Manila and Beijing.

This marks the first time the French have actively joined the Philippine-US war games, which kicked off on April 22 and will run until May 10. About 16,000 troops 11,000 from the US and 5,000 from the Philippines - will be participating in the drills, along with hundreds of soldiers from France and Australia.

France sent only military observers in previous Balikatan or "shoulder-to-shoulder" drills.