From front, the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba, U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey and Philippine BRP Diego Silang sail in formation during a maritime cooperative activity in the South China Sea, on Feb. 16, 2026. (Oscar Diaz/U.S. Navy)
A two-day series of maritime drills by the U.S., Australian and Philippine navies this week in the South China Sea drew a response by China’s navy with a demonstration of its own.
Aircraft and warships from the U.S. and its two allies converged inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone for a “maritime cooperative activity” meant to reinforce cooperation and protect freedom of navigation, according to separate news releases from the three militaries.
The exercise Sunday through Monday focused on visual information drills and a replenishment-at-sea, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in its release Tuesday. The U.S. regularly conducts similar drills alongside the Philippines and other allies.
China, which claims large swaths of the South China Sea, frequently objects that the exercises undermine peace in the region.
Beijing on Tuesday said it deployed air and naval forces on “combat readiness patrols” Sunday and Monday in response, according to the state-run China Military Online website.
“The Philippines’ efforts to rally external countries to organize so-called ‘joint patrols’ are disrupting the South China Sea and undermining regional peace and stability,” Senior Col. Zhai Shicen said Tuesday, according to the website.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey and a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from Patrol Squadron 4 represented the U.S. during the exercise, while Australia provided the HMAS Toowoomba and another P-8A Poseidon.
The Philippines sent an undisclosed number of FA-50 fighter jets, the patrol vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, the guided-missile frigate BRP Diego Silang and other aircraft including an A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft and several helicopters, according to the 7th Fleet.
The event is the 14th multilateral maritime cooperative activity and the first this year, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported Tuesday. Last month, the U.S. and the Philippine navies held a similar drill among themselves.
The exercises are often scheduled months in advanced and are “meticulously planned, coordinated, and executed in collaboration” with the Philippine military to support the mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines, U.S. 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Merrill told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday.
