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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider AFP focuses on submarine hunting in 12th multilateral drills in WPS; China says PH 'stirring up trouble'

AFP focuses on submarine hunting in 12th multilateral drills in WPS; China says PH 'stirring up trouble'

Published Nov 1, 2025 09:02 am  |  Updated Nov 1, 2025 01:13 pm
An Australian Navy aircraft marshaller guides the landing of the Philippine Navy’s AW159 NH441 aircraft aboard HMAS Ballarat (FFH155) during cross-deck flight operations as part of the 12th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and allied nations, held from Oct. 30 to 31, 2025. Participants during the exercise included military forces from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. (Photo: AFP)
An Australian Navy aircraft marshaller guides the landing of the Philippine Navy’s AW159 NH441 aircraft aboard HMAS Ballarat (FFH155) during cross-deck flight operations as part of the 12th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and allied nations, held from Oct. 30 to 31, 2025. Participants during the exercise included military forces from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. (Photo: AFP)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has executed a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) with allied nations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) where they trained on high-end warfighting skills like Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and crucial deep-sea logistics, a move that China criticized for "stirring up trouble" in the region.
The MMCA, held from Oct. 30 to 31, marked the seventh iteration of the MMCA drills this year, and the 12th since the series began in 2024.
The drills involved AFP’s counterparts with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), and the United States Navy (USN), emphasizing the “commitment of the four nations to a rules-based international order and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad.
The AFP deployed the missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF150), alongside its specialized NH441 AW159 and C-208 surveillance aircraft, and an A-29B Super Tucano close air support aircraft.
Partner forces contributed specialized assets such as the ADF’s frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH155) and its MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopter, the NZDF’s replenishment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa (A11), and the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62).
The two-day exercise moved well beyond basic drills, featuring complex naval operations such as an ASW EMATT (expendable mobile ASW training target) simulation, where participants practiced techniques for detecting and tracking submarines.
They also held rigorous replenishment and fueling-at-sea exercises, a vital skill for extending the range and endurance of naval forces.
The vessels also performed coordinated movements, division tactics, and officer of the watch maneuvers to ensure seamless, real-time coordination between different navies. Personnel exchanges and cross-deck drills were also completed, allowing Filipino and allied sailors to share operational expertise.
Trinidad said the joint engagements “aim to strengthen the AFP’s maritime security posture and enhance its capacity to protect the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.”
As this developed, Chinese government-operated media Global Times said the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People's Liberation Army’s (PLA) Southern Theater Command stepped up security operations around Huangyan Dao, its local name for Bajo de Masinloc, on Oct. 31, with patrols “reinforcing law enforcement and combat-readiness measures.”
It said the AFP was "stirring up trouble and undermining regional peace and stability" when it conducted drills with other countries in the South China Sea, where it claims the majority of the waters, including parts of the WPS.
This, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Related Tags

AFP Australia New Zealand United States West Philippine Sea MMCA
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