The United States military commenced a fortnight of joint exercises with its Philippine counterparts and various international allies on Monday. This comes amidst escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing regarding territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.
Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama 2023 marks the seventh and most extensive rendition of these exercises. Participants hailing from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia are collaborating with the United States and the Philippines, as reported by a statement from the US Navy.
These exercises, conducted off the Philippine coastline, encompass a range of activities including anti-submarine, surface, and air warfare drills, as well as land-based training phases, as outlined in the press release.
“In Tagalog, ‘Sama Sama’ is a phrase that beautifully encapsulates the essence of this exercise,” stated Capt. Sean Lewis, who serves as the commodore of the US Navy’s Destroyer Squadron 7, as mentioned in the press release.
He further emphasized, “By working together, we have the capacity to address a wide spectrum of security challenges, improve our interoperability, and with more nations participating than ever before, foster innovation. This collaborative effort allows us to forge a united, prepared force dedicated to maintaining stability in the region.”
The stability of the region faces mounting threats due to ongoing confrontations between Chinese coast guard and maritime militia units and Philippine vessels in the vicinity of contested features within the South China Sea.
During the opening ceremonies in Manila on Monday, Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., the chief of the Philippine Navy, expressed, “From safeguarding our territorial boundaries to combatting transnational crimes, ‘Samasama’ unites us in confronting a diverse range of threats together.” This statement was reported by the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).
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