IN A bid to enhance bilateral defense cooperation and strengthen maritime interoperability, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), together with the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM), concluded a two-day Philippines-France Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity with the French Navy on November 28, 2025, approximately 16 nautical miles east of Luban Point in Mati, Davao Oriental.
The joint engagement, part of continuing efforts to deepen security ties between Manila and Paris — featured coordinated naval and air operations designed to improve communication, operational readiness, and shared maritime domain awareness.
According to NFEM, on the second day, the French Navy vessel sailed through Philippine archipelagic waters while the Philippine Navy’s BRP Artemio Ricarte (PS-37), under Joint Task Force Sinaya, carried out a series of complex maneuvers with its French counterpart. The drills included formation and navigation exercises, simulated replenishment operations at sea, and close-quarters ship-handling maneuvers, all intended to refine coordination between the two navies.
A significant portion of the final day’s operations involved air support from the Philippine Air Force: a Black Hawk helicopter together with the NV392 aircraft of JTF Sinaya were deployed before the replenishment exercise, expanding surveillance coverage and reinforcing the interoperability aims of the cooperative activity. NFEM officials said that this air component heightened maritime domain awareness and contributed substantially to the effectiveness of the drills.
The exercise was supervised by Commodore Ireneo D. Battung, Commander of Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao, who highlighted that engagements of this nature help further develop professional exchanges and operational synergy between the Philippines and France. The successful completion of the joint drills marks another step forward in the growing defense partnership between the two countries, both of which have expressed commitment to continued cooperation in promoting regional maritime security and stability.
The timing of this bilateral activity matters according to the agency, especially given the evolving structure and capabilities of the Philippine Navy (PN) and its Eastern Mindanao component.
In September 2025, NFEM formally welcomed three newly commissioned vessels — the guided-missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), and two Acero-class fast attack interdiction crafts BRP Tomas Campo (PG-908) and BRP Albert Majini (PG-909) — adding substantial capability to patrol, respond quickly, and project naval presence across Eastern Mindanao waters.
These new surface assets, especially the frigate capable of multi-role operations and the missile-armed fast attack craft, reinforce NFEM’s mandate to address both external threats and internal security challenges in a region that remains vulnerable to insurgent activity, piracy, and maritime crime.
Moreover, the broader transformation within the Philippine Navy involves not just more modern ships but also upgrades in its basing infrastructure: under a strategic plan announced in 2025, the Navy intends to open new bases in Mindanao and other strategic areas to accommodate its growing fleet, enhance sustainment capacity and support more frequent naval deployments.
Furthermore, the military body emphasized that the recent joint drills with the French Navy serve more than just symbolic or diplomatic purposes, they actively test and demonstrate how the Philippines’ modernizing naval assets and evolving command structure can effectively integrate with allied navies, enhancing collective maritime security, improving interoperability, and strengthening the country’s ability to respond to both conventional and asymmetric threats across its maritime domains. DEF