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Philippine and United States armed forces conduct a bilateral amphibious exercise (AMPHIBEX) on March 31, 2022 in the vicinity of Claveria, Cagayan Valley as part of the 37th iteration of Philippine-US Exercise Balikatan. SN2 Mark Jade Autencio PN/AFP handout/File



Article (news)

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Philippine Navy (PN) on Tuesday said the use of a China-made ship as target for the ongoing joint military exercises with the United States soldiers is “just coincidental,” as Manila earlier clarified the drills are not directed at any particular country.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/21/philippines-us-launch-annual-joint-military-drills-724">READ: Philippines, US launch annual joint military drills</a></div><p>“It’s just coincidental. It’s not complicated,” Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesperson of the PN for the West Philippine Sea, said in a media briefing in Pasay City.</p><p>“No pun intended. No meaning to that. It’s just coincidental,” he stressed.</p><p>The BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81),  a retired Chinese-manufactured naval asset of the Philippines, will be used as a mock enemy target during the sinking exercises.</p><p>PN Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. said the navy tanker is around 50 years old, and has been found to be “appropriate for decommissioning so as not to incur so much expenses for repair and maintenance.”</p><p>“The vessel has been used in the Philippines for a long, long time. So, any attachment, if ever there is any, doesn’t matter,” Adaci added.  </p><p>Adaci said the targeting of old vessels in exercises is completely normal.</p><p>“Just like in any sinking exercise around the world, they use old vessels as target of the exercise. The same thing we are doing with Caliraya,” he said.</p><p>Over 16,000 Filipino and American troops kicked off joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, as China’s  growing assertiveness in the region raises fears of a conflict.</p><p>The annual drills – dubbed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog – is  concentrated in the northern and western parts of the archipelago nation, near the potential flashpoints of the South China Sea and Taiwan.</p><p>“The purpose of armed forces, why we exist, is really to prepare for war,” Philippine Colonel Michael Logico told reporters ahead of the drills.</p><p>“There&#x27;s no sugarcoating it... for us not to prepare, that&#x27;s a disservice to the country.”</p><div><strong>SURGE</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, the Navy said there has been a “surge” in the number of Chinese maritime militia vessels swarming in the West Philippine Sea as Manila and Washington hold the annual joint military drills. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/20/-war-is-not-on-the-table-ph-gears-up-for-balikatan-exercises-1713">READ: ‘War is not on the table’: PH gears up for Balikatan exercises</a></div><p>Navy data showed that 124 Chinese vessels were seen in the disputed waters from April 16 to 22, which includes 110 militia vessels, 11 coast guard ships, and three People’s Liberation Army-Navy warships – mostly in the areas of Bajo de Masinloc, Pag-asa Island, and Ayungin Shoal.</p><p>“It’s only for this week that we have seen a surge of up to 124,” said Trinidad. </p><p>“This particular increase is not normal. On the reason why? I could only say it coincides with Balikatan,&quot; he added.</p><p>The figure is a sharp increase compared to 79 vessels recorded from April 9 to 15 that included 50 militia vessels, 15 fishing vessels, 11 coast guards ships and two warships.</p><p>“It’s an increase. We have noted it. Are we concerned? We just monitor them,” Trinidad said.</p><p>He said “there are appropriate measures in place” should China disrupt or interfere in the war games.</p><p>China claims almost the entire waterway, a key route for international trade, and also considers self-ruled Taiwan to be part of its territory.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ULaSlXj4Ur0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81), a retired Chinese-manufactured naval asset of the Philippines, will be used as a mock enemy target during the sinking exercises.</p>

The BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81), a retired Chinese-manufactured naval asset of the Philippines, will be used as a mock enemy target during the sinking exercises.

Old China-made ship to be sunk in Balikatan drills, PH Navy says

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Old China-made ship to be sunk in Balikatan drills, PH Navy says

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 23, 2024 07:39 PM PHT

Read More:

BPP Caliraya

China

Balikatan

Philippine Navy

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Navy

Beijing

ANC

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