By Wu Qiaoxi | 2026-01-29

Joint naval and air drills by Philippine and US forces took place near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in late January, as the two allies continued to expand security cooperation in waters claimed by China. The Philippine name for the shoal is Bajo de Masinloc.

The Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) occurred January 25 and 26 within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) describing it as the 11th joint exercise carried out with US forces since November 2023 and the first of this year. Scarborough Shoal is a long-standing flashpoint in the South China Sea.

The shoal, about 220km west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, has been under Chinese control since 2012 but lies within the Philippines' internationally recognized Exclusive Economic Zone. The zone's boundary is 200 nautical miles (370.4km) from the Philippine coast.

Strengthening Philippine-US coordination

The two-day exercise focused on strengthening operational coordination across maritime and air domains, the AFP said in a news briefing January 27.

"This iteration highlighted the enduring AFP-US alliance and reaffirmed both forces' shared commitment to strengthening maritime security, enhancing operational interoperability, and upholding a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific Region," the military said.

Assets deployed by the Philippines included the guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna, FA-50 fighter jets, an A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, an AW-109 helicopter and the Philippine coast guard vessel BRP Gabriela Silang.

The US Indo-Pacific Command fielded the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and a P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, according to Philippine and US military statements.

According to the AFP, the activity involved a series of coordinated naval and air maneuvers aimed at improving tactical coordination and interoperability between the two forces. "The successful conduct of these activities enhanced coordination, tactical proficiency, and mutual understanding between allied forces," the military said.

The drills were intended to improve shared maritime awareness and took place with due regard for international law and freedom of navigation, the US 7th Fleet said. The fleet routinely operates with allies and partners to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, it said.

The exercise took place against the backdrop of overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing asserts broad maritime rights that conflict with those of several Southeast Asian countries.

A Chinese ship nearby

During the drills, a Chinese naval vessel operated nearby, Philippine officials said. "There was one monitored PLAN [People's Liberation Army Navy ship] within the exercise box. It did not conduct any aggressive or coercive action," said Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson for the Philippine navy on West Philippine Sea issues, according to the Philippine News Agency.

China's Southern Theater Command said separately that it conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea during the same period, without providing details on the patrol's location. In a statement released on January 27, the command criticized Manila's security cooperation with Washington.

"The Philippines co-opted countries outside the region to organize the so-called 'joint patrols,' disrupting peace and stability in the South China Sea," it said.

"The theatre command forces will resolutely safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly uphold regional peace and stability."

The latest MCA reflects closer defense ties between Manila and Washington under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has expanded military cooperation with the United States amid repeated Sino-Philippine confrontations in contested waters. Such exercises are aimed at improving readiness and interoperability rather than targeting any specific country, Manila says.