Historic Philippine Navy Ship Incident Alters U.S.-Philippines Military Exercise
A World War II-era Philippine navy ship, the BRP Miguel Malvar, intended as a target in a U.S.-Philippines combat exercise, sank unexpectedly, halting the planned drill. Despite this, other exercises proceeded. The incident occurred near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, an area of escalating tension between China and the Philippines.
- Country:
- Philippines
A historic Philippine navy ship from World War II, the BRP Miguel Malvar, sunk unexpectedly on Monday, disrupting a planned military exercise with American forces, according to U.S. and Philippine officials. The ship encountered rough waters while being towed for the exercise, set in the contentious Scarborough Shoal region.
The vessel, decommissioned in 2021, sank about 30 nautical miles off Zambales, the Philippine military reported. No one was aboard when it submerged. American and Philippine forces continued with other military maneuvers despite the incident, maintaining the scheduled large-scale exercises.
The exercises, dubbed Balikatan, are part of an annual showcase of U.S.-Philippines military collaboration and are not specifically targeted at China. However, these drills come against a backdrop of increasing territorial aggression from Beijing in the South China Sea, a heavily contested area.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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