THE Philippine and United States navies have conducted a coordinated patrol in the Sulu Sea in a bid to detect and deter threats to maritime security, the US Embassy in Manila said Saturday, July 1.
The activity was participated by sailors from the littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS4) and the Philippines' BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF 16).
"These patrols enhance regional peace and stability," said Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, commander of Task Force 73.
"Our at-sea operations with the Philippine Navy demonstrate our commitment to the alliance and deter piracy and illegal activities," he added.
The embassy said the joint patrol was conducted at the invitation of the Philippine government.
Several Filipino sailors went onboard the USS Coronado to coordinate communication and movements between the two ships.
"The Philippine sailors also exchanged best practices with their US counterparts in visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) techniques and information sharing," the embassy said.
It said the joint patrol strengthened maritime security cooperation between the US and Philippine navies and enhanced both navies' ability to respond to piracy and transnational criminal activity at sea.
The USS Coronado recently completed the Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama with the Philippine Navy in the vicinity of Cebu. The exercise provided opportunities to sharpen tactical skills in maritime security operations that were employed during the coordinated patrol.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened to scrap the annual military drills between Philippine and US forces but later on changed his mind.
Despite this challenge, the US and the Philippines continue to work together on number bilateral and multilateral exercises such as Balikatan, the Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama, Southeast Asian Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), the Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC), the Asian Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus), and other bilateral subject matter expert exchanges. (VR/SunStar Philippines)