Australian and Filipino troops held exercises on Friday (Aug 25) near flashpoint South China Sea waters claimed by China, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hailing them as an “extremely important” example of close cooperation.
China deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise reefs in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis
Friday’s joint drills took place at a naval base about 240km east of Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground that China seized from the Philippines in 2012 after a tense standoff.
The air, sea and land drills, the first major joint exercise by the two countries, simulated retaking an enemy-controlled island.
About 1,200 Australian soldiers and 560 Filipino marines stormed a beach during the exercise, arriving in amphibious assault vehicles, by parachute and aboard US Osprey aircraft
Two advanced Australian F-35 fighter jets provided close air support, and Australian warships secured the surrounding waters.