Collision between a China Coast Guard vessel and BRP Cabra. AFP Photo
A Philippine supply boat collided on Sunday with a China Coast Guard vessel attempting to block it during an operation to resupply the grounded LST BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands. Read More
A Second Thomas Shoal resupply mission intercepted by China Coast Guard on Oct. 4, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard Photo
The Philippines conducted a successful resupply mission on Wednesday to its outpost on BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57), grounded at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands, despite China’s attempts at obstruction. Read More
HMAS Anzac sails with BRP Conrado Yap during Exercise LUMBAS as part of a regional presence deployment on June 17, 2023. Royal Australian Navy Photo
Australia and the Philippines agreed to joint patrols in the South China Sea on Friday as the two countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Philippine President Bongbong Marcos inked several agreements and a joint declaration during their first-ever bilateral meeting in Manila amid tensions with China. Read More
Philippine Military resupply mission was hit with a water canon from a Chinese Coast Guard cutter. Philippine Military Photo
China Coast Guard cutters disrupted an Armed Forces of the Philippines resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, including instances where they fired water cannons, a Philippines Coast Guard spokesperson said Monday. Read More
An MV-22 Osprey from the “Ugly Angels” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362 flies by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in the South China Sea on Feb. 11, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
A United States Navy carrier strike group and amphibious ready group are drilling in the South China Sea in the service’s latest effort to test how the formations can operate together with their respective platforms. Read More
The two boats (encircled) bringing supplies to Philippine troops aboard the BRP Sierra Madre. Photo provided by Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military undertook a resupply mission for its troops in the Second Thomas Shoal in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) on Tuesday, exactly one week after the mission was aborted after two Chinese Coast Guard vessels used water cannons to attack the two civilian boats bringing supplies to the soldiers. Read More
A map of China’s shifting definition of the so-called Nine-Dash Line. US State Dept. Image
The United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration handed out a decision on Thursday that the Republic of the Philippines’ case against the People’s Republic of China regarding Law of the Seas violations can be heard. This long-awaited decision marks a turning point in the complex landscape of international legality as more maritime nations seek to establish boundaries on their oceanic and littoral territories. Read More
An undated photo of BRP Sierra Madre, grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratley Islands
The Philippines government has begun efforts to reinforce the tiny outpost of BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated World War II-era landing ship deliberately beached on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999. Due in no small part to extensive media coverage, the vessel is a well-known symbol of the ongoing territorial dispute over the mineral- and resource-rich Spratleys Island group. Read More
