Overview
- The United States and the Philippines conducted a two-day Maritime Cooperative Activity on Jan. 25–26 near Scarborough Shoal, involving USS John Finn, a P-8A patrol aircraft, BRP Antonio Luna, BRP Gabriela Silang, an FA-50, and an A-29.
- U.S.-released photos show a Chinese warship observing the exercise from a distance, while China’s Southern Theater Command said it ran routine patrols and criticized Manila for inviting outside powers.
- Japan’s Joint Staff reported four Chinese warships—two destroyers, a frigate, and a replenishment ship—transiting the Miyako Strait into the Philippine Sea shortly after the drills.
- Philippine aviation authorities issued a notice reserving a large area north of Scarborough Shoal for military activities from Jan. 21 to Mar. 31, a move Beijing called a deliberate effort to stoke tensions.
- Following the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group’s redeployment to the Middle East, U.S. support continues through patrol flights, intelligence assets, and forward-based drones.