Philippine and United States naval and air forces conducted their fourth bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) of the year in the West Philippine Sea from June 14 to 19 to strengthen maritime interoperability ahead of a multinational naval exercise in Hawaii.
The six-day exercise involved naval, air, and marine assets from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
Participating forces carried out various interoperability drills, including search and rescue, visit, board, search and seizure operations, communication exercises, division tactics, officer-of-the-watch maneuvers, photo exercises, and joint fires rehearsals.
According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the activity aimed to enhance maritime domain awareness and improve coordination between Philippine and US forces.
The military said the successful exercise reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to stronger maritime cooperation and support for a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: PhilNews24 | June 21, 2026
