A US Coast Guard cutter joined Philippine warships in a patrol near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea last week as Washington continued backing Manila in its maritime dispute with Beijing.
According to a report from USNI News, the exercise, conducted from May 26 to May 30, marked the first time the US Coast Guard joined one of the joint US-Philippine patrols, which began in 2023, though the US Coast Guard did take part in a “group sail” in the South China Sea that was part of the recent Balikatan Exercises.
For last week’s patrol, the US Coast Guard cutter USS Midgett joined the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna and the Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel BRP Melchora Aquino, and the exercises included practicing maritime interdiction and boarding other vessels.
The USNI report cited tracking data that showed the joint US-Philippine patrol came within 35-40 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, which is controlled by China. On Sunday, the Chinese military and coast guard also carried out patrols in the area.
Chinese and Philippine vessels often have tense encounters near Scarborough Shoal and other disputed features in the South China Sea, sometimes resulting in collisions or ramming. The US often releases statements backing the Philippines after such incidents and pledges that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty applies to attacks on Philippine boats in the South China Sea, meaning the area is a potential flashpoint for a conflict between Washington and Beijing.
In recent years, the US has increased its military presence in the Philippines and its military aid to Manila, including funding construction projects to support Philippine operations in the South China Sea. The US has also ramped up its military drills in the country, which now regularly include live-fire exercises along the coast of Palawan, a Philippine island province on the South China Sea.
