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Multilateral MCA is 'successful' but AFP monitors 2 Chinese navy ships – Brawner
Multilateral MCA is 'successful' but AFP monitors 2 Chinese navy ships – Brawner
The first ever multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) held in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) by the Philippines, Australia, Japan and the United States over the weekend was deemed “successful”.
This was the assessment given by General Romeo Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), on Monday, April 8.
“Successful po ‘yung nangyaring exercise natin (The exercise that we conducted was successful). We were able to achieve all the objectives that we have set forth including the anti-submarine warfare exercise that we conducted,” he told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
However, the military chief confirmed that two Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ships were spotted during the quad sail.
Brawner said ships and aircraft from the four countries were operating together off the coast of Busuanga in Palawan going to Sabina Shoal up to Recto (Reed) Bank in the WPS on April 7 when the Chinese navy ships were seen lurking around.
Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Director Arsenio Andolong said the Chinese navy ships had bow numbers "792" and "162".
The Chinese ships were seen six nautical miles away from the MCA participants.
The participants to the multilateral MCA were offshore patrol vessel BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS15) with AgustaWestland (AW) 109 helicopter, guided missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) with AW159 Wildcat ASW (anti-submarine warfare) helicopter, and patrol ship BRP Valentin Diaz (PS177) from the Philippine Navy; littoral combat ship USS Mobile and maritime patrol aircraft P-8A Poseidon from the United States Navy; the frigate HMAS Warramunga from the Royal Australian Navy and P-8A Poseidon from the Royal Australian Air Force; and the destroyer JS Akebono from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces.
"Medyo malayo rin 'yung distansya nila hindi katulad nung mga RoRe operations natin na talagang dumidikit sila ano, halos banggain pa 'yung mga ships natin. This time wala naman pong nangyaring 'ganoon (They were a bit far unlike during our [rotation and reprovision] operations that they are really close to a point that they could collide with our ships. This time, no such thing happened)," Brawner said.
Despite this, Brawner said the MCA was not interrupted by the Chinese navy ships.
"Wala naman pong ginawa itong mga navy ships na ito para i-block or hadlangan 'yung ginagawa nating mga exercises (These [Chinese] navy ships did not block or interfere with our exercises)," Brawner noted.
The AFP chief could not determine whether the presence of the Chinese ships were connected to the combat patrols done by the Chinese PLA Navy on the same day of the MCA.
Prior to this, the Chinese PLA Navy announced that they also conducted combat patrols in the South China Sea, adding that all military activities supposedly disrupting the South China Sea situation were placed “under control.”
"Narinig natin na 'yung China daw ay magsasagawa rin ng kanilang combat patrols ano pero sa nakita nating pagmonitor dun sa area, wala naman pong ganoong nangyari (We have heard that China was also conducting combat patrols but based on our monitoring int he area, there was no such thing)," Brawner stated.
"We only monitored the presence of two PLA navy ships at wala namang ginawang mga combat patrol or mga exercises (and there were no combat patrol or exercises)," he added.