PH, Japan hold 3rd maritime drill in WPS
Philippine News Agency
By Priam Nepomuceno
November 30, 2025, 6:31 pm
MANILA -- Filipino and Japanese naval and air units carried out their third bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Nov. 29, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced Sunday afternoon.
In a statement, the AFP said the latest MCA underscores the "steady growth of defense cooperation" between the Philippines and Japan.
For the third iteration, the AFP deployed the guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), an AW-159 "Wildcat" anti-submarine helicopter and a Philippine Air Force C-208B surveillance aircraft.
Japan's participation was led by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) with the guided-missile destroyer JS Harusame (DD-102) and a SH-60K helicopter.
The first bilateral MCA with Japan took place in August 2024 while the second one was conducted last June.
"Both forces carried out a series of interoperability activities, including division tactics/officer of the watch maneuver, where participating ships practiced coordinated movements and station-keeping; and a PHOTOEX (photographic exercise) which involved maintaining precise formation for documentation of the activity," the AFP said.
Aside from this, a cross-deck landing exercise was also conducted to familiarize helicopter crew and ship personnel with each other's deck procedures and enhance coordination in aviation operations.
The AFP noted that the MCA with Japan took place one day after the successful Philippine-France MCA on Nov. 28 in the southern portion of Eastern Mindanao.
The back-to-back activities highlight the AFP's continuing efforts to broaden international defense cooperation and sustain regular engagements with partner forces. (PNA)
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