Australia, Canada and Philippines stage air defense drills off disputed shoal

[credit: photo provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines]

Australia, Canada and the Philippines deployed three warships and aircraft Wednesday for drills against simulated aerial threats off a disputed South China Sea shoal where Chinese forces have used risky maneuvers to try to drive away Manila’s aircraft and ships.

The Philippine military said the naval drills east of the Scarborough Shoal were concluded safely, and it did not mention any encounter with Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships which have been closely guarding the uninhabited fishing atoll off the northwestern Philippines for years.

Chinese officials did not immediately issue any comment on the naval drills but they have repeatedly warned that they would defend the shoal and outlying waters.

Sailing from a western Philippine province, the Royal Australian Navy’s guided-missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane, Canadian navy frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and a Philippine navy guided-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal conducted exercises east of the shoal, including the “air defense exercise that honed the participants’ capability to counter simulated aerial threats through coordinated defensive maneuvers,” the Philippine military said in a brief statement.

Video footage and photographs issued by the Philippine military show at least three fighter jets soaring in the sky during the drills while two combat helicopters separately flew near the Philippine navy frigate.

“This engagement reaffirms the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ commitment to advancing defense cooperation with like-minded nations,” it said.

The drills were among the final activities of the largest military exercises Australia has staged with the Philippines that involved more than 3,600 military personnel for 15 days of live-fire and battle maneuvers that would end on Friday.

Canada and several security partners sent military forces as observers.

The Philippines is the oldest treaty ally of the U.S. in Asia. Washington has repeatedly warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea. MDT/AP