The US carrier strike group conducted joint maritime drills with its Filipino counterpart in the volatile South China Sea as the Chinese Coast Guard’s ‘Monster Ship’ was lurking in the waters. In a riposte to the combat drills that Beijing sees as countries “ganging up” against it, it conducted joint maritime and air drills in the disputed waters.
This was 2025’s first maritime wargame between the Philippines and the US, and it saw the participation of the US Carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The group consisted of the USS Princeton, USS Sterett, an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter, a V-22 Osprey helicopter, and two F-18 Hornets. The drills were spread over two days.
The Philippine Navy deployed the BRP Antonio Luna, BRP Andres Bonifacio, two FA-50 fighter aircraft, and Philippine Air Force Search and Rescue assets.
On January 17, the joint US-Philippine naval assets carried out a communications check exercise, division tactics/officer of the watch maneuver, and a photo exercise. The activities continued on January 18 with dissimilar aircraft combat training.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Romero Brawner said, “This is a result of our shared commitment and mutual effort to safeguard our national interests and secure a peaceful region.”
In the face of rising Chinese belligerence in the region, Washington has repeatedly asserted that the United States is obligated to defend the Philippines, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia, if it is attacked. This is warranted under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines. Washington lays no claim to the contested waters but has declared that freedom of navigation, overflight, and the peaceful resolution of the disputes is in its national interest.
The first maritime combat exercise of 2025 between the US and the Philippines took place near Zambales waters, where the Chinese Coast Guard’s Monster ship was sailing. In response, the Philippine Coast Guard issued radio challenges through BRP Gabriela Silang.
The world’s largest coast guard vessel, which belongs to China and has earned the ‘Monster Ship’ moniker, has been traversing the West Philippines Sea, forcing Manila to mobilize air and sea assets of its military and coast guard to challenge the ‘Monster’ going dark in its waters near Zambales.
The PCG sees the Chinese presence as aimed at legitimizing their activities near Bajo de Masinloc (the Philippines’ name of the disputed Shoal) and discouraging Filipino fishermen from operating in the area.
The appearance of the CCG’s “monster ship” closer to the Zambales coastline has been a concerning development. Beijing’s colossal coast guard ship frequently plays a key role in advancing China’s territorial ambitions.
‘The Monster’ departed the Zambales coastline over the weekend, but it was replaced by another CCG ship. The Philippines Coast Guard official has said they have been conducting hourly radio challenges to remind the Chinese crew that their operations within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are illegal.
The US-Philippines exercise came a day after US Senator Marco Rubio, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the State Department, warned Beijing of refraining from aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
“The actions they are taking now are deeply destabilizing; they are forcing us to take counteractions because we have commitments to the Philippines and we have commitments to Taiwan that we intend to keep,” said Rubio during his confirmation hearing at the Senate.
He warned China to “stop messing around” with the Philippines and Taiwan, saying its “deeply destabilizing” actions compel the US to “counteract.”
China’s Riposte
In response to the war games, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command conducted a joint maritime and air combat patrol in the South China Sea.
The PLA Southern Command said in a statement that the wargames were aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the region. But the PLA’s announcement came after the Philippines Navy announced that its warships conducted joint drills with American vessels in the South China Sea.
Any military activities that stir up troubles in the South China Sea are under control, the PLA Southern Theater Command said.
It was the first patrol of the year and coincided with a joint air and sea exercise involving the Philippine and United States militaries. The exercises took place days before Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday.
Tensions are expected to rise as President Trump enters office for a second term.
China has followed up any military drills by foreign navies in the waters with its own drills. The state-owned Global Times said the US-Philippines drill “intensified the level of provocation.”
The two military drills occurred only days after China and the Philippines held the 10th meeting of the bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea in Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province.
