AFP not informed of US-Japan-Australia South China Sea drills

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday denied reports that it has declined to join a trilateral naval drill in the South China Sea (SCS) involving United States, Japanese and Australian forces.

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said they have yet to be officially informed of the naval drill, which would be held in waters claimed by China near the West Philippine Sea.

He said the AFP is verifying relevant information with the US, Japan and Australia.

“If there’s such an activity, then we’re not informed. It’s not true that we declined an invitation to join,” he told dzBB in Filipino.

He noted that the AFP is actually engaged in an ongoing exercise with the Australian Defense Force in Palawan. He was referring to Exercise Alon 2023.

As part of Alon 2023, Australian forces launched an “air assault” on Punta Baja in Rizal, Palawan yesterday.

AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said the exercise involved coordinated air, land and sea actions to simulate realistic combat scenarios, enhancing the forces’ preparedness and operational readiness.

He said the Palawan Air Assault involved ground combat elements transported in MV-22B Osprey from Marine Rotational Force–Darwin from HMAS Canberra to the Punta Baja Airfield on Aug. 20.

The Helicopter Assault Force then established a link with the 3rd Marine Brigade to secure the Punta Baja Airfield, and set up a Forward Arming and Refueling Point.

Ileto said Alon 2023 marks the first bilateral amphibious exercise between Australia and the Philippines.

The AFP and the US military, meanwhile, kick off today their 10-day humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) training exercise in San Fernando, La Union.

Pacific Partnership 2023 (PP23) will feature joint training events; medical, dental and veterinary activities and engineering initiatives.

Ileto said the largest annual multinational HADR exercise of the US – now in its 18th iteration – is aimed at enhancing preparedness and interoperability with seven host partner nations in the Indo-Pacific.

For this year, PP23 will focus on mountain, urban and water search and rescue.

Ileto said medical and dental civic action programs will focus on exchanges and community education that will help build resilience and enhance capabilities to respond to HADR needs.

American, South Korean and Filipino military engineers will perform engineering projects aimed at addressing critical infrastructure concerns.

“We welcome our ally and partners as we embark on another opportunity to build strong, stable and resilient communities,” Ileto said.

“This exercise underscores our commitment to regional stability, disaster response readiness, and the well-being of every Filipino and our neighbors,” he added.

“With our partners, this will help us hurdle challenges by fostering goodwill and fostering safer, more resilient communities for generations to come.”