The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) joined military forces from the United States and Australia for a week-long series of maritime and air exercises in the West Philippine Sea aimed at strengthening interoperability in combined operations, military officials announced on Wednesday, August 26.
Running from August 19 to 25, the 19th multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) brought together the AFP, the US Pacific Command, and the Australian Defence Force to execute complex sea and air maneuvers designed to foster a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the AFP public affairs office, emphasized that the exercise represents a standard cooperative engagement among allied nations to refine communication protocols and synchronized group operations.
“The successful completion of the 19th MMCA underscores the enduring commitment of the Philippines, the United States, and Australia to strengthening defense cooperation, enhancing interoperability, and promoting peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region,” Trinidad stated.
The exercise involved a substantial deployment of naval and air assets from all participating nations. The Philippine contingent deployed the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Diego Silang (FFG7), an AW109 utility helicopter, FA-50 jet fighters, a Cessna 208B utility plane, and a Sokol search and rescue helicopter, alongside the Philippine Coast Guard’s multi-role response vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701).
The United States participated with the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Australia contributed the Supply-class replenishment oiler HMAS Supply (A-195), an MH-60R anti-submarine helicopter, and a P-8A aircraft.
Throughout the week, joint forces executed a variety of operational training scenarios, including anti-submarine warfare, maritime domain awareness, replenishment at sea, tactical division maneuvers, communication drills, officer-of-the-watch training, photo exercises, and coordinated fly-bys.