Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines successfully conducted the first maritime drill at the West Philippine Sea on Sunday.

The Multilateral Marine Cooperative Activity (MMCA), showed the naval vessels and aircraft from the four countries performing communication exercise, division tactics or Officer of the Watch maneuver, and a photo exercise within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

These activities were designed to enhance the different forces’ abilities to work together effectively in maritime scenarios, a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

Participants include the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar with AW109 helicopter, BRP Antonio Luna ( with AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopter, and BRP Valentin Diaz  from the Philippine Navy; the USS Mobile and a P-8A Poseidon from the United States Navy; the Royal Australian Navy HMAS Warramunga and Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft; and JS Akebono from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces.

The MMCA demonstrated the participating countries’ commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific through interoperability exercises in the maritime domain.

It will also contribute greatly to the AFP’s capability development.

China on Sunday conducted military “combat patrols” in the disputed South China Sea that coincided with the joint drills by the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia.

In a statement, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said it was organizing “joint naval and air combat patrols in the South China Sea”.

The exercise should not be a reason to increase tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.

In an interview, Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said this maritime activity should not raise tensions since it will be conducted in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“ As I said it’s a show of unity. If they consider it as a show of force that is up to them but what we’re doing is something that’s practiced by all civilized nations in the world…and what is important is that we are doing this in the name of our national interest in the Philippines because I mentioned what we’re getting out of this is the enhancement of our capability and our interoperability with our partners,” he added. DMS-Jaspearl Tan