Tag Archives: Philippines

Delegation Calls for More Philippine Merchant Marine Officers, Help from U.S.

Delegation Calls for More Philippine Merchant Marine Officers, Help from U.S.

An undated photo pf President of the The Philippines Benigno Aquino visiting a bridge simulator at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy

An undated photo pf President of the The Philippines Benigno Aquino visiting a bridge simulator at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy

As Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was preparing to speak before a joint session of Congress on expanding trade in the Pacific, a delegation of legislators and businessmen from the Philippine maritime industry were meeting with transportation officials and would later meet with their American counterparts to find means to better educate their ratings and put more officers aboard the world’s merchant fleet. Read More

U.S. 7th Fleet Would Support ASEAN South China Sea Patrols

U.S. 7th Fleet Would Support ASEAN South China Sea Patrols

Vice Adm. Robert Thomas, commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, delivers remarks during a change of command ceremony aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73). US Navy Photo

Vice Adm. Robert Thomas, commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, delivers remarks during a change of command ceremony aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73). US Navy Photo

The head of U.S. naval forces in the Western Pacific said the U.S. would support an emerging plan to create multi-national patrols in the South China Sea that could bear similarities to anti-piracy patrols in the Strait of Malacca. Read More

Opinion: The Expanding Assault on China's South China Sea Claims

Opinion: The Expanding Assault on China’s South China Sea Claims

Undated photo of ships of the China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in 2012. PLAN Photo via Press TV

Undated photo of ships of the China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in 2012. PLAN Photo via Press TV

China’s ambiguous claim to the South China Sea, approximately demarcated by a series of hash marks known as the “nine-dashed line,” faced objections from an expanding number of parties over the past two weeks. While a challenge from the United States came from an unsurprising source, actions by Indonesia and Vietnam were unexpected in their tone and timing. Read More

Pentagon Ends Philippine Counterterrorism Mission, Special Operations Forces to Remain in Country

Pentagon Ends Philippine Counterterrorism Mission, Special Operations Forces to Remain in Country

An undated photo of a Marine with the Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines. DoD Photo

An undated photo of a Marine with the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines. DoD Photo

The decreasing threat from al Qaeda-linked terror groups in the Philippines has prompted Pentagon leaders to shutter one of the U.S. military’s long-running counterterrorism operations, but will maintain a sizable special operations force (SOF) in country for the foreseeable future. Read More