In the face of China’s latest aggression in Bajo de Masinloc and Escoda Shoal, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) led a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with its counterparts from the United States and Japan on Friday, Dec. 6.

The joint sail, dubbed as a multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA), was the fifth iteration of the initiative between the said countries, according to Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs office chief.

The AFP deployed Philippine Navy (PN) ship BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) and a Beechcraft King Air C-90 patrol aircraft to the activity.

For its part, the US Navy (USN) sent a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from its Patrol Squadron 47 while the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) utilized its Murasame-class destroyer JS Samidare (DD 106).

“The 5th MMCA participated in by the combined armed and defense forces of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, is taking place today, December 6, within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” Trinidad said.

“It aims to reinforce interoperability among the participating nations in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation, and the rights and interests of other states,” he added.

For the US Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom), the joint sail demonstrated a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“This builds upon previous MCAs and our continuing operations together, which strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures,” the Indopacom said.

It stressed that the MMCA was “conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States.”

“The U.S., along with our allies and partners, uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect to the maritime rights under international law,” it noted.

The joint sail occurred in the wake of the reported firing of water cannon, sideswiping and dangerous maneuvers by China Coast Guard and People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s ships against Filipino fishermen, and civilian vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) and Escoda (Sabina) Shoal last Dec. 4.

Prior to the joint sail, a pre-sail conference was conducted by ranking officials from the PN, USN and JMSDF aboard JS Samidare at Pier 15 in Manila last Wednesday.

The conference brought together maritime defense experts to exchange best practices and operational insights. This includes the alignment of tactics, techniques, and procedures to address shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya boarded the destroyer and paid a courtesy call on Commander Koga Naoki, the commanding officer of JS Samidare, during the conference.

He said the visit of the Japanese destroyer to the Philippines highlighted the ongoing efforts of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to maintain maritime security in the Philippine seas and reaffirm Tokyo’s readiness to contribute to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

The presence of the Japanese destroyer in the Philippines’ waters also came days after a Russian attack submarine was detected by the Philippine Navy last Nov. 28.

While the PN said the Russian submarine was only passing by, President Marcos Jr. said its presence in the country’s waters was “worrisome”.