India and the Philippines have staged their first joint sail and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea, a move likely to antagonize China, which claims nearly the entire key waterway and has separate territorial disputes with the two Asian countries. The two-day joint military deployment, which began on Sunday, aimed to enhance preparedness, build mutual trust, and strengthen operational synergy in the maritime domain.
According to Philippine Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr, the joint sail took place inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. “We did not experience any untoward incidents, but there are still those shadowing us – as we had already expected,” Brawner told reporters, without naming China. In past joint patrols with other foreign navies, Chinese navy and coastguard ships have kept watch from a distance, according to the Philippine military.
Indian navy ships that took part in the exercise included guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, tanker INS Shakti, and corvette INS Kiltan. The Philippines deployed two frigates, BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal. The exercise coincided with President Ferdinand Marcos’s departure for a five-day trip to India, where he aimed to deepen maritime ties and seek cooperation on sectors including defense, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.
Brawner expressed hope that Filipino forces could engage India’s military in more joint maneuvers in the future, saying the drill “sends a powerful signal of solidarity, strength in partnership and the energy of cooperation between two vibrant democracies in the Indo-Pacific”. This sentiment was echoed by Indian Navy sources, who stated that the bilateral maritime exercise focused on joint maneuvers and communication protocols to improve preparedness and build mutual trust.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the joint drills, stating that territorial and maritime disputes should be resolved between the countries directly involved, and no third party should intervene. In response to a question about the Philippines’ plans to build up military cooperation, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense called the country a “troublemaker” that has aligned itself with foreign forces to stir up trouble in what China deems its own territorial waters.
“China never wavers in its resolve and will safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and take resolute countermeasures against any provocations by the Philippine side,” spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang had told reporters. The South China Sea is a strategic shipping route where $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce takes place, and a 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal found China’s sweeping claims have no basis under international law, a decision Beijing rejects.