"Deliberately grounded on a tiny reef in the #SouthChinaSea, part of an island chain claimed by the two Asian countries, the #BRPSierraMadre is now the unlikely base for a detachment of Filipino marines who stand guard over the atoll, scanning the turquoise waters for Chinese ships." #AyunginShoal#SecondThomasShoal#Philippines
"#MANILA, #Philippines — Senators condemned on Sunday the Chinese Coast Guard’s (#CCG) harassment against the Philippine Coast Guard (#PCG) and military supply ship bound for #AyunginShoal.
In separate statements, senators aired their frustration on CCG’s use of water cannon against PCG vessels delivering supplies to military troops stationed on #BRPSierraMadre in Ayungin Shoal." #SouthChinaSea
"Video from the #Philippines showed a large Chinese Coast Guard ship spraying a much smaller Philippine boat that was attempting to deliver supplies to a garrison of Philippine marines on #SecondThomasShoal...Images from the #PhilippineCoastGuard (PCG) also showed the Chinese ship moving dangerously close in front of the PCG vessels as they escorted the resupply boats" #SouthChinaSea
"Global concern about #China’s naval activities is growing as the country expands and modernises its military, and shows increasing aggression in its claims over the #SouthChinaSea and #Taiwan.
Joint drills with #Russia – during which a flotilla sailed near #Alaska this weekend – have also heightened concern over military coordination between #Beijing and #Moscow." #SouthChinaSea
"Tensions between #China and the #Philippines are on the rise once again, with #Manila accusing the Chinese Coast Guard of using water cannon to block a Philippine military supply boat from delivering food, fuel and water to troops garrisoned on a decommissioned warship grounded on a reef in the #SouthChinaSea."
"If #China succeeds in enforcing its nine-dash line claim using its new coast guard law, and if #Russia succeeds in keeping Ukrainian territory that it has invaded, then both China and Russia would be overturning and negating the foundational principle of the #UNCharter." #SouthChinaSea#PagasaIsland#AyunginShoal
"The structures, according to the senator, could serve as permanent lodging for soldiers stationed at the rusty #BRPSierraMadre, a warship intentionally grounded in the shoal in 1999 as a Philippine military outpost and now at the center of fresh tensions between #Manila and #Beijing." #Ayungin#AyunginShoal#Philippines#WestPHSea
"#Locsin, who filed numerous diplomatic protests and sometimes tweeted expletives against #China, led the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at a time when the Philippine leader, #Duterte, sought closer ties with Beijing. He was Duterte’s third and longest-serving foreign secretary, steering the DFA from October 17, 2018, until Duterte’s term ended on June 30, 2022." #Philippines#ForeignAffairs
"#TritonIsland, which #China has controlled since 1974, is the westernmost and southernmost point of the #Paracels, almost the same distance from the Vietnamese coast and China’s island province of #Hainan.
Powell said the construction there 'will clearly make #Vietnam agitated.' #TootSEA
"The planned exercise set for Wednesday comes amid mounting tensions between #China and the #Philippines after a Chinese coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine military-chartered boat near the #Manila-controlled #SecondThomasShoal in the #SouthChinaSea earlier this month." #AyunginShoal
“Notwithstanding attempts by #ChinaCoastGuard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels to block, harass, and interfere with the supply mission, the Philippine supply ships … successfully completed their supply mission,” the task force added. #AyunginShoal#BRPSierraMadre#Philippines
The task force said Unaizah May 1 and Unaizah May 2 were escorted by #PCG vessels #BRPCabra and #BRPSindagan during the mission, while Philippine Navy ships were also on standby.
"On August 22, two #PCG ships escorted boats commissioned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (#AFP) to bring supplies to #Philippine Marines stationed at the #BRPSierraMadre, a grounded ship that serves as the Philippine outpost in those waters. It was the #Philippines’ second resupply mission in August, after a routine mission on August 5 was partially stopped by #China." #AyunginShoal
“Masyadong maliit ang P10 million kumpara halimbawa sa #DepEd na may proposed intelligence funds na P150 million. The #PCG is threatened by #China almost on a daily basis, 24/7, while the DepEd is not even facing any security threat,” #Hontiveros said. #Philippines#WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea
The air, sea and land drills, the first large-scale joint exercise between #Australia and the #Philippines, simulated retaking an enemy-controlled island.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marlies said after the drills that the first joint patrols of the #SouthChinaSea by the Australian and Philippine navies would “happen soon”.
"#India, meanwhile, was among the countries that rejected and protested #China’s 2023 national map, in which China claimed Indian land, as well as territory being disputed by the two countries.
Interactions between China and India in disputed borders have been more violent, especially between 2020 and 2021, following clashes along the Sino-Indian border that resulted in casualties."
Marcos on Tuesday called out “misleading narratives” that reduce disputes in the #SouthChinaSea to a mere competition between two influential nations as such claims deny #Manila’s independence and agency, and disregards its legitimate interests. #Philippines#China#US
The Philippine Coast Guard should be getting a good chunk of this.
"In a statement on Tuesday, October 10, House appropriations committee chairperson Zaldy Co said a total of P1.23 billion in confidential funds were realigned to agencies at the forefront of efforts to assert the #Philippines’ territorial rights in the #WestPhilippineSea." #SouthChinaSea
More multi-role fighters, more ships and maybe submarines. #China’s aggressive actions in the #WestPHSea has radically altered the modernization program. #SouthChinaSea
"#MANILA – The Armed Forces of the #Philippines (#AFP) modernization program is now being reconfigured or shifted to provide the military with the capabilities needed to protect the country's exclusive economic zone (#EEZ) or 200 nautical miles from its coast."
Linking the Philippine Air Force Saab #Gripen multi-role fighter (MRF) thread to the #WestPHSea thread. There is a strong possibility the #Philippines will be getting more than 14 MRF's (12 Gripen C & 2 Gripen D) since that number won't be enough to cover our #EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).
Note that the PAF was also considering getting F16's from the US though that proved too expensive for the original budget. Delivery time was longer than the Gripen's too.
#China has pissed off Canada several times, it's just not us na binabastos nila.
While neither Filipino and Canadian officials will say it out loud, the dark vessel detection system is an invaluable tool as the #Philippines becomes more assertive in defending its territory and asserting its claim over the #WestPhilippineSea, or parts of the #SouthChinaSea within its exclusive economic zone.
The island is located 141 km (88 mi) southeast of the southern tip of #Taiwan's main island and 98 km (61 mi) to the nearest Taiwanese island, the "Lesser Orchid Island".
For reference, a flight from Manila to Baguio is 210km(130 mi) . #EEZ
In the #AFP, there are area commands, with units from the different services under its wing, and there are commands that offer support to the whole military. The #CyberGroup is one of those support units, alongside the AFP Reserve Command and Procurement Service, among others. #Philippines#cybersecurity
Brawner said he wants the Cyber Group expanded into a command so it can have more personnel and equipment.
The #Philippines accused #China’s coast guard of “dangerous blocking manoeuvres” that caused it to collide with a Philippine resupply boat about 25km from #SecondThomasShoal, where the warship was deliberately run aground decades ago to underline the Philippines’ claims in the sea. #BRPSierraMadre#WestPHSea
During their scheduled early November summit in the #Philippines, Prime Minister #FumioKishida and President #FerdinandMarcos Jr. are expected to greenlight negotiations for a "reciprocal access agreement," facilitating the presence of visiting forces, according to sources.
The incident was the second of two encounters the #Ottawa’s helicopter had with Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy #J11 fighter jets over international waters on October 29, which saw the fighters get as close as 100 feet from the helicopter, Millen told CNN in an interview aboard the warship. #Canada#China
Diplomacy focused on the contested waters is the latest in a series of talks leading up to #JoeBiden and #XiJinping’s meeting this month in #SanFrancisco. #China
#MANILA, #Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (#PCG) will receive five additional multi-role response vessels from #Japan within the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to National Economic and Development Authority (#NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan on Thursday. #WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea
Sen. #GracePoe, the sponsor of the #DOTr 2024 budget, said the #PCG was spending P1.7 billion yearly for fuel alone. She added that most PCG vessels were “inoperable” as these had not been maintained due to insufficient funds. #Philippines
It is rare for a head of state to visit the USINDOPACOM, and Malacañang said Marcos was the first Philippine president to set foot in the military base.
The patrols involve three navy ships and three fighter-jets from the Philippine military, which were to be joined by one littoral combat ship and one aircraft from the #American side.
On Tuesday, the Philippine Air Force’s #FA50 light combat aircraft flew in tandem with the US Air Force’s #F15C fighter jets and C-130 from #Batanes to the #WestPhilippineSea to test joint flight doctrines and further enhance interoperability, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. #Philippines#US#SouthChinaSea
#MANILA, #Philippines — Three of the #PhilippineCoastGuard (PCG) multirole response vessels often used in regular resupply missions to a military outpost in #WestPhilippineSea (WPS) participated in joint water cannon and towing drills between Philippines and #Japan.
The new carrier is projected to hold at least 28 fighter jets and helicopters and displace 45,000 tons of water, a common measurement of warship size. The #Vikrant also displaces 45,000 tons.
The carrier is to be equipped with French-made #Rafale jets, Bloomberg said, a decision reflecting India's ongoing military modernization and partial phasing out of older Soviet- and Russia-made hardware.
The #Philippines currently has two active #VFAs: one with the #UnitedStates which was ratified by the Senate in 1999 and with #Australia which was signed in 2007 but was ratified and took effect only in 2012.
#MANILA, #Philippines – Over 40 volunteers composed mostly of youth and student leaders arrived in #ElNido, #Palawan, on Saturday, December 9, in line with the three-day #ChristmasConvoy civilian supply mission to the #WestPhilippineSea that will begin on Saturday, December 10.
The volunteers, who also include fisherfolk representatives, among others, arrived in El Nido from #Manila, aboard the TS Kapitan Felix Oca that had been loaded with donations and supplies.
In a statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS) said #ChineseCoastGuard (CCG) ships used water cannons against the vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (#BFAR) namely Datu Sanday, Datu Bankaw, and Datu Tamblot near #BajoDeMasinloc (#Scarborough Shoal). The three BFAR ships are civilian vessels. #Philippines#SouthChinaSea
#MANILA, #Philippines — A group of #Filipino civilians will embark in a historic journey in Philippine waters — they will sail to the #WestPhilippineSea to assert the country’s control over our own waters.
Organized by #AtinIto coalition, the program will begin on Sunday, December 10.
The #Philippines is using a recently installed Japanese-made air-surveillance radar system at #WallaceAirStation in San Fernando City to monitor activity off its coast. It says it will share data from the radar with Tokyo to strengthen their security relationship. #SouthChinaSea#China#WestPhilippineSea
Located at a #PhilippineAirForce (PAF) base here, the Japanese-built air surveillance radar system (#ASRS) was formally turned over to the PAF in simple ceremonies held on Wednesday.
The #WallaceAirStation, a former US air base, has been without any capability to detect intrusions since 2015 after it retired its #US-made air surveillance radars that had been in use since the 1950s. #Philippines#WestPHSea#Japan
#MANILA, #Philippines – Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia’s regional bloc Association of Southeast Asian Nations (#ASEAN) on Saturday, December 30, expressed their concern over growing tensions in the #SouthChinaSea which they said could threaten regional peace and urged for peaceful dialogue among parties. #SoutheastAsia#TootSEA
Footage shared by state broadcaster CCTV and the Chinese military on Thursday showed what they called "live fire drills" taking place over the sea.
One video, shared by the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command, showed jets taking off and firing missiles that then struck targets.
The drills coincided with a two-day exercise by the #US and the #Philippines in the disputed waters, involving an aircraft carrier strike group led by the #USSCarlVinson. #SouthChinaSea
#MANILA, #Philippines – Two Chinese navy vessels shadowed Philippine and US ships conducting joint patrols in the #SouthChinaSea, the Philippine military said on Thursday, January 4 as tensions flare in the region over disputed territorial claims.
The two-day maritime exercises involving Manila and #Washington, were the second in less than two months in the #WestPhilippineSea – within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (#EEZ). #China
#MANILA, #Philippines – The Philippines will develop islands in the #SouthChinaSea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops, #Manila’s military chief Romeo Brawner told reporters on Monday, January 15. #WestPHSea
The #Philippines signed an P18.9-billion deal with #BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd.—an Indian-Russian joint venture—in January 2022 for three batteries of the cruise missiles as part the #PhilippineNavy’s shore-based #AntishipMissile system project. #WestPHSea
The two Southeast Asian countries have competing claims over some parts of the #SouthChinaSea, a conduit for $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade that #China claims almost in its entirety. #SoutheastAsia#ASEAN#WestPHSea
#MANILA, #Philippines — The Philippines will get a delivery of supersonic missiles by March, according to #NationalSecurityCouncil (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya on Friday.
In an ambush interview in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Malaya said that the ground system for the #BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles will arrive in February. #WestPHSea
Filipino bishops rebuked #China in a rare statement about the #WestPhilippineSea dispute, and said it is “morally permissible” to take refuge in “the friendship of allies” if diplomacy fails.
The #BashiChannel between those islands and #Taiwan is considered a choke point for vessels moving between the western #Pacific and the contested #SouthChinaSea. The Chinese military regularly sends ships and aircraft through the channel, Taiwan's defence ministry has said. #China#WestPHSea
Earlier, the PCG said that its X account had been “compromised.”
Posts on the PCG’s X page and its reply tabs were empty, although the “like” reactions were kept – however, most of the “likes” came from a particular account promoting cryptocurrency. #Philippines#WestPHSea#PHCoastGuard#CyberSec
The Philippines is close to sealing a deal with Sweden to acquire a squadron of 12 multi-role fighters worth 61 billion pesos, a defense spokesman said on Friday.
Director Arsenio Andolong said both sides are expected to sign an agreement by next month in Sweden. #JAS39Gripen
Vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard (#PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (#BFAR) will be taking turns securing the shoal for Filipino fishermen. #WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea#China
Because of #Beijing’s massive defence build-up in the region, #SoutheastAsia air forces are ordering new equipment and eyeing more potent capabilities.
This is not just about money. There's no love lost between #India and #China so China taking control of the #SouthChinaSea is absolutely not in India's interest. #WestPHSea
India is aiming to become a key player in the #Philippines’ military capability upgrade as it seeks to promote itself as a major arms exporter in the region.
The Philippine government said on Monday, February 19, that it would “validate and investigate” reports from Filipino #fisherfolk of their foreign counterparts using #cyanide to fish in #BajoDeMasinloc, a shoal that’s supposed to be a shared fishing ground for several nationalities. #Philippines#WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea
Philippine #FA50 fighter jets and a US #B52 bomber plane flew together over the #SouthChinaSea on Monday, more than a week after their navies held joint maritime exercises in the face of simmering tensions over territorial claims in the area. #WestPHSea
The #Philippines is doubling down on efforts to preserve its sovereignty in the disputed waters while preparing for contingencies in nearby #Taiwan.
As such #Manila is stepping up its acquisition of increasingly high-end military equipment while expanding sophisticated military exercises with partners including the #US, #Japan and #Australia. #WestPHSea#China
The Senate approved on second reading a measure specifying the rights and entitlements of #Filipinos over the country’s maritime zones, including underwater features.
Tolentino, chair of the Senate special committee on maritime and admiralty zones, said #SB2492, which he wrote, would make the country compliant with the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (#Unclos). #WestPHSea
It took #BFAR’s vessel up to 2 hours to break free from the blocking Chinese vessels and proceed to the #BajoDeMasinloc to distribute aid to 44 Filipino fishing boats moored there.
The #BRPDatuSanday then anchored 200 meters from the shoreline of Bajo de Masinloc, the nearest it has reached since its rotational deployment. #WestPHSea#Philippines
Satellite images of the hotly disputed #ScarboroughShoal in the #SouthChinaSea show a new floating barrier across its entrance, near where Philippine ships and #China coast guard vessels have had frequent run-ins.
The satellite image bolsters a report and video distributed by the #PCG on Sunday showing two Chinese coast guard inflatable boats deploying floating barriers at the shoal's entrance on Feb 22. #Philippines#WestPHSea
#MANILA, #Philippines – Shadowing and blocking maneuvers by #China in the #WestPhilippineSea are nothing new for personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (#PCG), nor for Philippine journalists who are practically regulars in missions to those waters as part of the government’s “transparency initiative.” #WestPHSea#ScarboroughShoal
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (#BFAR) reported that a gray helicopter with Chinese markings was seen in the area.
“This is the first time na mayroon tayong nakita na Chinese aircraft patrolling over the airspace of #BajoDeMasinloc in the recent time,” said #PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela. #Philippines#WestPHSea#China
Geopolitical experts and envoys have proposed a triangular cooperation among #Philippines, #Japan, and #India, for the advancement of peace and stability in the #IndoPacific region.
According to Ambassador of India to the Philippines Shambu Kumaran, the three countries should work together in the aspect of maritime domains and security. #WestPHSea
If Japan wants to assist us in this area later, I hope we'll let them. They're in a good position to help us in patrolling it. We share a non-overlapping EEZ “border” with them, and it will strengthen the ties of both countries as well.
Previously the Chinese vessels left from #LongxueIsland in #Guangzhou before moving through Benham Rise, which is inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. #EastPHSea#China
On Monday, #PCG deployed one of its biggest vessels, the #BRPGabrielaSilang, to the northeast corner of the resource-rich submerged landmass inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (#EEZ) for a two-week mission. #EastPHSea#China
The 100-million-ton oil field is located in the #PearlRiverBasin near #China's #Guangdong Province, state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (#CNOOC) said in a press release on Friday. The #KaipingSouthOilfield is China's first deep-water and deep-play oilfield with proved in-place volume over 100 million tons.
The #Philippines has signed or entered discussions over new #SecurityAgreements with at least 18 countries since a Chinese coast guard vessel flashed a military-grade laser at a Philippine coast guard ship in the #SouthChinaSea last year, according to the Philippine Defense Department. #WestPHSea
A total of 126 reservists – all of whom are #Ivatan or local residents of #Batanes – would attend the graduation ceremony in #Basco town on Saturday, March 9, according to the Naval Forces Northern Luzon which is under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Northern Luzon Command.
The #Jas39Gripen came about as a result of #Sweden's #Bas90 program from the 1970s. Bas 90 required aircraft that could be quickly scrambled from such small, scattered, makeshift bases, making it much harder for an enemy to destroy Sweden's air force quickly.
I stumbled upon the Reddit discussion below & translated the quoted Swedish article on the SEK 11.74B (krona)/ USD 1.13B/PHP 63B (peso) recent arms sale to a "secret country".
The Filipino scientific team spent four hours at two reefs and was able to complete its mission, despite the presence of Chinese vessels and a Chinese military helicopter circling overhead. #WestPHSea#PagAsaIsland
The Philippine military said the Saturday morning confrontation lasted for nearly an hour and took place as it sought to resupply a small garrison of sailors on board the sunken #BRPSierraMadre off #SecondThomasShoal. #AyunginShoal#WestPHSea
While the #US and the #Philippines have conducted joint patrols previously, this will be the first time #Japan’s navy has joined with them in doing so — a show of force designed to show #Beijing its belligerence won’t be tolerated. #WestPHSea
Under #EO57, the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) was renamed and reorganized into the #NationalMaritimeCouncil (#NMC) chaired by Executive Secretary #LucasBersamin.The NMC will formulate and issue guidelines for the effective implementation of EO 57 within 60 days from its effectivity. #Philippines#WestPHSea
The #Philippines, the #UnitedStates, #Japan, and #Australia will hold a “maritime cooperative activity” (#MCA) in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (#EEZ) on Sunday, April 7, “in support of a free and open #IndoPacific,” their defense ministers said in a joint statement. #WestPHSea
The MCA will precede a #TrilateralSummit among the Philippines, US, and Japan, which will discuss recent incidents in the #WestPhilippineSea.
#China has blasted President #JoeBiden's upcoming summit with two key Pacific allies as an attempt to "cobble together exclusive groups" and inflame regional tensions.
The remark came days before U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister #FumioKishida and Philippine President #FerdinandMarcosJr. in the countries' first trilateral summit. #WestPHSea
This is huge, and it's probably going to pass with strong bipartisan support.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of a #TrilateralSummit between the #UnitedStates, #Japan and the #Philippines, two prominent U.S. senators on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan bill to provide Manila with $2.5 billion to boost its defenses against Chinese pressure. #China#WestPHSea
Unlike in Japan's neighbor #SouthKorea, where U.S. and South Korean troops can operate under a unified command of a four-star general, U.S. air, land and sea forces in Japan are currently subordinate to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Washington will now consider appointing a four-star commander in Japan, laying the groundwork for a future unified Japanese-U.S. command. #TrilateralSummit
"#China’s frequent tactic is to try to isolate the target of its pressure campaigns, but the April 11 trilateral signals clearly that the #Philippines is not alone,” said Daniel Russel, who served as the top US diplomat for #EastAsia under former President #BarackObama. #WestPHSea#TrilateralSummit
#Duterte’s silence over the issue amid the #Marcos administration’s strong condemnation of a series of Chinese actions in the #WestPhilippineSea has further fueled the observed split of the #Uniteam, the 2022 election coalition that led the Marcos-Duterte tandem to victory.
A second reliable source cites the same number of MRFs to be purchased and the same two primary candidates - Sweden's #Jas39Gripen & the US #F16. This is the first one that mentions #India's #HALTejas which is technically a Light Combat Aircraft or #LCA (like our FA-50), it's not an #MRF.
The news is supposed to be officially announced soon.
The annual #Balikatan (“shoulder-to-shoulder”) drills will involve 16,700 soldiers simulating retaking enemy-occupied islands in areas facing #Taiwan and the #SouthChinaSea.
The military exercises will be the first to be held outside #Philippines’ territorial waters, and come amid a rise in tensions in the South China Sea. #France
The #Philippines is taking delivery of the anti-ship missile systems at a time when tensions between them and #China have escalated owing to frequent clashes in the #SouthChinaSea. The three batteries of the #BrahMos missile system would be deployed by the Philippines in their coastal areas to guard against any threat in the region. #WestPHSea
I had the feeling that the Indian officials offering sweets to the Philippine #MarineCorps officers on the delivery of the #BrahMos missile to the #Philippines had a special cultural significance 😊
The #Brahmos supersonic missile is the product of a joint venture between #India & #Russia, with a 50.5% Indian and 49.5% Russian partnership. This means Russia had a major say in approving it's sale to the #Philippines.
Ironically, in a worst case scenario, the BrahMos could end up embedded in a Chinese warship 🤷🏻♂️
To wrap this #Brahmos minithread up, the sole reason why the #Philippines is even considering acquiring the #HalTejas is that the Brahmos-NG (New Generation) is coming soon. Among the improvements is a substantial decrease in weight which enables a light combat aircraft (#LCA) like the #Tejas to carry two of them.
At a naval conference in #Qingdao on Monday, #ZhangYouxia, vice-chairman of the #CentralMilitaryCommission, said the sea should not be an arena in which countries can flex their “gunboat muscles”.
Beijing repeatedly says it pursues dialogue to resolve maritime disputes in the #SouthChinaSea, but makes clear this is largely on its own terms. #China#Balikatan2024
According to the Armed Forces of the #Philippines, the three #warships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy were seen on Monday in the vicinity of #PagAsa Island, about 500 km west of #Palawan, and #Lawak and #Patag Islands, which are about 300 kilometers west of the province. #WestPHSea#Balikatan2024
Half of our FA50 fighter fleet, this must mean the new fighter jets are coming in soon since we'll be expected to keep this up yearly.
In a press conference, PAF spokesperson Colonel Ma. Consuelo Castillo said four to six aircraft and around 150 personnel will be deployed as the country's contingent to #ExercisePitchBlack in #Australia. #Philippines
There has been relative calm in the #TaiwanStrait since the #Biden-#Xi summit, after a period of high tension in which Chinese warships and planes would regularly approach #Taiwan. At the same time however, there has been increasing friction in the #SouthChinaSea between #China and neighbouring countries, particularly the #Philippines, a #US ally. #WestPHSea
The #BrahMos aren’t the only mid-range missile systems on Philippine soil in April 2024.
In mid-April, the #UnitedStates’ 1st Multi-Domain Task Force deployed the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern #Luzon for military exercises. #Balikatan2024
The #MobileRadar is the second unit of the four long-range surveillance radars from #Japan, three of them are fixed, ordered by the Department of National Defense under a P5.5-billion government-to-government deal.
#Beijing, based on the report, budgeted over $296 billion for its military in 2023, a 6% increase from its spending the year prior. The figure represents 12% of the world’s military expenditures and over 50% of the #Asia and #Oceania region.The figures are estimates of #SIPRI, as #China’s publicly declared military budget is much lower. #TootSEA#Philippines
Old article on the arrival of the first of 3 static radars from #Japan. We were wide open before then.
The #WallaceAirStation, a former US air base in #SanFernandoCity(#LaUnion), has been without any capability to detect intrusions since 2015 after it retired its #US-made air surveillance radars that had been in use since the 1950 - until now. #JFPS3ME
#MANILA, #Philippines – The China Coast Guard on Tuesday, April 30, used water cannons against two Philippine vessels in #BajoDeMasinloc (#ScarboroughShoal), a feature some 100 nautical miles off the coast off the coast Zambales.
The defense chief’s remarks come as three Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near #ScarboroughShoal on Tuesday in yet another example of #China’s game plan to counter the #Philippines’ growing assertiveness in the disputed waters. #BajoDeMasinloc#WestPHSea#SouthChinaSea
The environmental survey was "forced to halt" after a Chinese ship approached and "researchers deemed the situation dangerous". Two Japan Coast Guard patrol ships were said to have blocked the Chinese vessel's approach. #Senkaku
The #Senkakus are a group of uninhabited features administered by #Japan but claimed by #China.
Teodoro made the statement a day after the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Manila claimed that the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (#Wescom), supposedly with the approval of the Philippine defense chief himself, had agreed on a “new model” in relation to #AyunginShoal (#SecondThomasShoal) earlier this year. #Philippines#WestPHSea
The Chinese air force #J10 jet dropped flares above and several hundred metres ahead of an Australian #MH60RSeahawk helicopter on a routine flight on Saturday.
The helicopter, flying from destroyer #HMASHobart, dodged the flares. The confrontation put the aircraft and those on board at risk, although no one was hurt, #Australia's defence department said.
#SYDNEY, #Australia – Australian Prime Minister #AnthonyAlbanese said on Tuesday, May 7, it was unacceptable for Australian defence personnel to be put at risk in international airspace by the Chinese military as they took part in an operation to enforce #UnitedNations sanctions on #NorthKorea.
#China, over the past month, has been insisting that the #Philippines reneged on an agreement to manage tensions in Ayungin Shoal, a feature within the PH exclusive economic zone.
Carlos was appointed to the post in January 2022 by former president #RodrigoDuterte, just five months before his presidential term ended. #WESCOM#WestPHSea
"Kung meron talaga silang recording at kung meron talaga silang transcript, they should at the least make it available to the government — to the Executive, dahil seryosong claim na naman nila yan ng isang new model,” said Hontiveros in a press conference, pertaining to #China. #PHSenate#RisaHontiveros#WestPHSea#WESCOM#AyunginShoal
#MANILA, #Philippines — Finally breaking its silence, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned the public against “falling for false narratives” after #China’s threat to release an #AudioRecording supposedly proving that a high-ranking Filipino army official agreed on a “new model” in #AyunginShoal. #WestPHSea
The National Security Adviser #EduardoAno was referring to a news report this week of an alleged leak of a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Filipino admiral discussing a dispute over the #SouthChinaSea, which carried a transcript that showed the admiral agreeing to concessions towards #China. #WestPHSea
The live fire exercises were held throughout the week along the shores of the coastal city of #Laoag in northern Ilocos province, the closest mainland Philippine province to #China.
They capped the largest ever #Balikatan, or “shoulder-to-shoulder,” joint military exercises between US and Philippine troops, cementing a dramatic policy shift. #Balikatan2024
As tensions rise throughout the #SouthChinaSea, energy demands are drawing #Malaysia deeper into the fray and testing the country’s long-standing reluctance to antagonize #China.
Since 2020, China has been harassing Malaysian drilling rigs and survey vessels, leading to standoffs that have lasted months.
According to Ian Cruz’s Saturday report on “24 Oras Weekend”, the #OceanTugboat, equipped with #WaterCannons with which to fight fires, was purchased by a government agency that was yet to be named by Filipino shipbuilder #JosefaSlipways, Inc. #WestPHSea
De Castro’s paper noted how #Manila’s 2019 #NationalMilitaryStrategy had bluntly stated that #China would never be a security partner of the #Philippines and was in fact the main threat to the country, and the #US should be included in the military’s strategic planning.
Director of SeaLight, #RayPowell, said that at least four #ChinaCoastGuard vessels (CCG) and 26 “large” Chinese maritime militias are expected to blockade the #AtinIto convoy.
The second civilian supply mission of the Atin Ito coalition will begin on Wednesday morning at #Masinloc town in #Zambales, led by an indigenous vessel serving as the mother boat. #Philippines#WestPHSea
The #BilateralSpaceDialogue bared that such a program will be useful in monitoring and documenting vessels in the #Philippines’ territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, ensure the safety of mariners at sea, monitor and help protect the environment, and help combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. #EEZ#IllegalFishing
#China has issued a regulation empowering its coast guard to detain foreigners trespassing in the #SouthChinaSea following the Philippine civilian mission to the #WestPhilippineSea (WPS) that ended on Friday. #WestPHSea
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