Phl, US, Japan hold joint sail in WPS

For the fifth time this year, warships of the Philippine Navy, United States military and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) sailed the high seas together within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) yesterday.

- By MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is yet to release details about the 5th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) and where exactly it is being conducted.

Japan's JS Samidare is apparently among the warships joining the activity, considering it has been docked in Manila's Pier 15 since earlier this week for a pre-sail conference.

"The 5th MMCA participated in by the combined armed and defense forces of Japan, the Philippines and the United States is taking place today, Dec. 6, within the country's EEZ," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said.

"It aims to reinforce interoperability among the participating nations in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states," he added.

Trinidad said the AFP together with Australia, Japan and the US conducted a pre-sail conference aboard the Samidare on Wednesday.

According to him, the conference brought together maritime defense experts from participating nations to exchange best practices and operational insights.

"This includes the alignment of tactics, techniques and procedures to address shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region," Trinidad said.