Tag Archives: Philippines

Persistent Chinese Maritime Militia Presence off Philippines Raises Concerns in Manila

Persistent Chinese Maritime Militia Presence off Philippines Raises Concerns in Manila

Overview of Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea and Chinese vessels moored in the waters surrounding the boomerang-shaped coral reef on March 23. MAXAR Photo

MANILA – Chinese maritime militia vessels remained berthed at the Whitsun Reef, which is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, lending credence to what Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described as China’s plot to permanently occupy the feature. Read More

Destroyer USS Russell Performs South China Sea FONOP

Destroyer USS Russell Performs South China Sea FONOP

The guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) conducts routine underway operations. Russell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo

A U.S. guided-missile destroyer performed a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea on Wednesday, U.S. 7th Fleet announced. Read More

Top Stories 2020: International Naval Operations

Top Stories 2020: International Naval Operations

Motor Tanker (M/T) Wila, a merchant vessel in international waters en-route to the UAE port of Khor Fakkan, in the Gulf of Oman, was boarded by armed Iranian personnel who fast roped aboard the ship from an Iranian Sea King helicopter as it hovered above on Aug. 12, 2020. US Navy Photo

This post is part of a series of stories looking back at the top naval news from 2020.

Like the U.S., international navies grappled with not only the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but regional security concerns from China’s naval expansion and operations in the Pacific to Iranian and Russian operations in the Middle East. Read More

SECNAV Braithwaite Visits Palau as U.S. Courts More Partners in the Western Pacific

SECNAV Braithwaite Visits Palau as U.S. Courts More Partners in the Western Pacific

USS Benfold (DD-65) is at anchor off Koror, Republic of Palau in 2012. US Navy Photo

Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite visited Palau during a weeklong swing through the Pacific, making him the second high-ranking Defense Department official to visit to the small island nation in the last two months as the Second Island Chain is being eyed to play an even larger role in military plans and operations going forward. Read More

No Russian or Chinese Presence at First Week of RIMPAC

No Russian or Chinese Presence at First Week of RIMPAC

USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) transits the Pacific Ocean during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2020 on Aug. 22, 2020. US Navy Photo

The U.S. Navy and partner nations have so far not encountered a Russian or Chinese maritime presence during the Rim of the Pacific 2020 exercise, according to a Navy official. Read More

U.S. Warns China Will Gain Edge if the Philippines Ends Visiting Forces Agreement

U.S. Warns China Will Gain Edge if the Philippines Ends Visiting Forces Agreement

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Alex Donahue discusses the importance of proper knots and rigging with Philippine soldiers during a subject matter expert exchange in support of Balikitan 2017 at Fort Ramon Magsaysay, Philippines on May 4, 2017. US Army Photo

KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippines government has now formally begun the process of terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin confirmed on Twitter: the U.S. Embassy in Manila has received notice, and the termination will take effect 180 days later. Read More

Amphibious Ops, Air Defense Key in Philippines Exercise With U.S., Japanese Forces

Amphibious Ops, Air Defense Key in Philippines Exercise With U.S., Japanese Forces

Marine Lance Cpl. David Lancheros shares his knowledge about the engagement process of a FIM-92 stinger missile with Philippine Airman 2nd class Sherwin Faoeranga during a subject matter expert exchange as part of exercise KAMANDAG 3 at Colonel Ernesto P. Ravina Air Base, Philippines on Oct. 9, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo

U.S. Marines are sharpening their amphibious skills right alongside amphibious assault vehicle crews of Philippine Marines and Japanese sea soldiers in a series of exercises that aim to tighten cooperation between the three nations. Read More

Littoral Combat Ship Deploys for First Time in 19 Months; USS Montgomery Left Unannounced in Early June

Littoral Combat Ship Deploys for First Time in 19 Months; USS Montgomery Left Unannounced in Early June

The littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) departs Naval Base San Diego to conduct routine operations and training in the Pacific Ocean. US Navy photo.

This post has been updated to include a comment from a Navy official regarding the timeline of the USS Montgomery deployment.

There is a Littoral Combat Ship operating forward on deployment for the first time in 19 months, with USS Montgomery (LCS-8) arriving in the Philippines over the weekend on its maiden deployment. Read More

Japanese Amphibious Soldiers Hit the Beach in the Philippines with U.S. Marines, 7th Fleet

Japanese Amphibious Soldiers Hit the Beach in the Philippines with U.S. Marines, 7th Fleet

Soldiers from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) and Marines, attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), stand by in the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) Oct. 9, 2018. US Navy Photo

It was no ordinary beach assault when troops took off on amphibious assault vehicles from a U.S. Navy ship and raced ashore in a training exercise with U.S. Marines. Read More