US and Philippine forces sink a Chinese-made ship during war games

U.S. and Philippine forces sank a decommissioned Chinese-made Philippine Navy ship Wednesday during war games in the South China Sea, simulating an attack on an enemy ship, officials said.

The drills are being held near the city of Laoag, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Taiwan, amid increasing clashes between Philippine and Chinese ships around areas in the South China Sea claimed by Manila and Beijing.

The BRP Lake Caliraya, a small tanker decommissioned by the Philippine Navy in 2020, slowly submerged after being hit by waves of anti-ship missiles, rockets, gunfire and land artillery near Laoag, they said.

A Navy fast attack craft and frigate, an Air Force fighter plane and helicopter, and Philippine Army land artillery, as well as a US F-16 fighter and an AC-130 gunship took part in the attack on the simulated enemy ship. they added.

The participants had “a mission to prevent an aggressor from landing on Philippine soil,” Lt. Col. Omar Al-Assafthe Philippine planner for Wednesday’s activity told reporters.

“The ability of both the U.S. and Philippine military and air forces to work together to accomplish this is extremely lethal,” said Lt. Col. Matt Cahillcommander of a US army unit participating in the war games.

He compared it to team sports where “you don’t enter the field with a new team just before the big game” but have to practice together beforehand.

The Philippine military previously ruled out any symbolism in choosing a Chinese-made ship as a target for the allies.

“There is no problem with that. The ship has been used in the Philippines for a long time. So any attachment, if any, does not matter at all,” said Chief Vice Admiral of the Philippine Navy Toribio Adaci.

More than 16,700 Philippine and American troops are taking part in the annual military exercises – called Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog – in multiple locations across the Asian archipelago.

Journalists watched Wednesday’s event on video screens beamed to a stretch of sand dunes where the two allies had also conducted a live-fire exercise two days earlier using rockets and artillery to target an imaginary invasion force that would land on the northern coast of the Philippines countries, to stop.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis. It deploys hundreds of Coast Guard, Navy and other ships to patrol and militarize the waters.

Asked about the exercises, China’s Foreign Ministry warned on Monday that “any military exercise should not target or harm the interests of third parties.”

“Countries in the region can all clearly see who is currently provoking a military confrontation and escalating tensions in the region,” a spokesperson said. Lin Jian told a regular briefing.