JOINT MARITIME DRILLS OF PH, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, AND US CONDUCTED IN PHILIPPINE WATERS


The Philippine with four other countries will demonstrate a joint patrol in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday (Photo courtesy of AFP/Inquirer)
On Saturday September 28, the armed and defense forces of the Philippines will be conducting joint maritime drills within its territorial waters with the militaries of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced.
AFP chief Romeo Brawner Jr. said the defense forces of the Philippines and its ally-nations, "demonstrating a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, will conduct a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone on September 28, 2024."
As reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the joint maritime drills with the US, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand underscore the nations' shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law.
Brawner added that the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity which involves the naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together enhancing cooperation and interoperability between the armed forces.
The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States.
In a separate statement, the Australian defense ministry said that HMAS Sydney and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are joining the exercise, "enhancing cooperation and interoperability between our armed forces."
The Philippines has been increasing training engagements with foreign partners and upgrading its defense agreements in the face of increasingly aggressive moves by China in the West Philippine Sea.
Source: GMA Integrated News
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