Philippines and US are patrolling together in the South China Sea

General Romeo Brawner, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army at a press conference

The Philippine military said there were a total of four ships from the Philippine Navy and four ships from the US Indo- Pacific Command (INDOPACOM).

INDOPACOM deployed an aircraft carrier, a coast guard ship, and two destroyers to join the operation with the Philippines. It is unclear what types of Philippine ships will be involved in this operation.

The location and scope of the sea area where the latest joint patrol took place are unknown.

General Romeo Brawner, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army, said this was the second time the US and the Philippines had conducted joint patrols in the East Sea, after the first one took place on November 21, 2023 and lasted for 3 days.

The second one marks a "significant leap forward" in the alliance between Manila and Washington, as well as in the goal of enhancing the Philippine military's interoperability with the US military, he said.

"Our alliance is stronger than ever, sending a message to the world. We are promoting a rules-based international order and a free and open Indo- Pacific region that is facing regional challenges," Reuters quoted General Brawner as saying.

The idea of ​​the joint patrol initiative was raised during talks between the US and Philippine navies in 2022 before being officially implemented in November last year.

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