Photo: AFP / Image: A Philippine Navy personnel aboard BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) observes the JS Sazanami (DD 113) during the Philippine-Japan maritime cooperative activity on August 2 in the West Philippine Sea.
Naval vessels from the Philippines and Japan held their first bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) in the West Philippine Sea on August 2.
The Philippine Navy (PN) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted the first bilateral maritime cooperative activity amid tensions with China in the area. The territorial dispute between China and the US-aligned Philippines is at increasingly high risk of escalating into a conflict involving the two countries, analysts have said.
The maritime exercise was an effort to strengthen regional and international cooperation towards ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to a press statement released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The navy vessels deployed by the countries for participating in this maritime drill were BRP Jose Rizal from the AFP and JS Sazanami from the JMSDF.
The training routine of the maritime exercise included a communications exercise (COMMEX), a tactical manoeuvring exercise, and a photographic exercise (PHOTOEX).
The press statement released by the AFP mentioned that the exercise was able to enhance the tactical capabilities of the Philippine Navy and the JMSDF and reinforced the strong ties and mutual commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The statement further mentioned that the JMSDF and the Philippines Navy are dedicated for promoting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, demonstrating their shared commitment to upholding a rules-based international order.
