The Philippines and the United States have conducted joint naval exercises for the fifth time.

The Philippines and the USA conducted their fifth joint naval exercises in the South China Sea.

Reuters reports this information.

In a statement from the Philippine military, it was noted that on January 17-18, they carried out "joint naval exercises" with the USA, marking the first such drills this year and the fifth overall since the start of collaborative activities in 2023.

The joint naval operations involved the US aircraft carrier strike group "Carl Vinson," two guided-missile destroyers, two helicopters, and two F-18 Hornet aircraft. In turn, the Philippine side deployed the frigate "Antonio Luna," the patrol vessel "Andres Bonifacio," two FA-50 fighter jets, and search-and-rescue assets from the Air Force.

According to representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, these activities strengthened bilateral maritime cooperation and operational compatibility between the two countries.

The agency mentions that their joint exercises took place at a time when the Philippines sought clarification from China regarding the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels in Philippine maritime territory, including a 165-meter ship, which they refer to as a "monster" due to its size.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that a Ukrainian An-124 "Ruslan" aircraft returned to transport combat helicopters and delivered multi-role Black Hawk helicopters to the Philippines.