The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group joined Philippine and Japanese vessels in the South China Sea over the weekend in what was Washington’s largest show of force near Scarborough Shoal in years, following a series of maritime incidents between China and allied nations in the region.
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), and destroyers USS Wayne Meyer (DDG-108), USS Gridley (DDG-101) and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), were joined by Japanese destroyer JS Akebono (DD 108), Philippine Navy flagship BRP Jose Rizal (FF 150) and frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF 151), and Philippine Coast Guard cutters BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV 9702) and BRP Cape San Agustin (MRRV 4408) for a two-day joint patrol and exercises in the South China Sea.
The gathering of nine warships and patrol cutters was one of the largest maritime cooperative activities in recent years at the disputed maritime feature, which has been a flashpoint of tensions between Beijing and Philippine forces. MT Anderson, an open-source intelligence account on social media platform X, also spotted a C-2 Greyhound from Nimitz operating 200 nautical miles south of Scarborough Shoal.
The warships and cutters practiced maritime domain awareness activities and anti-submarine warfare on Friday and Saturday, according to an Armed Forces of the Philippines release. In response, the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command claims it scrambled a bomber formation amid the drills.
“These engagements highlight not only the Philippines’ steadfast resolve to defend its maritime domains but also its shared commitment with partners to strengthen deterrence, enhance interoperability and uphold freedom of navigation under a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific,” reads a Philippine military release on the joint patrol.
A Defense Department official told USNI News that the exercise demonstrated a “collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The official also noted that the activity proceeded “safely and without disruption” when queried about the Chinese bomber response.
The patrol follows a pledge from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reestablish deterrence in the South China Sea alongside his Philippine counterpart at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Defense Ministers Meeting Plus last month. Hegseth also announced a new task force to lead enhanced defense activities with the Southeast Asian treaty ally to counter “Chinese coercion.”
The participating patrol vessels make up Manila’s frontline in the South China Sea and have frequently faced harassment from Chinese counterparts at Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoals.
The most severe incident between the Philippines and China occurred Aug. 11 with the collision of a Chinese destroyer and cutter near Scarborough. Shortly after the incident, U.S. warships conducted a freedom of navigation operation, and Beijing announced a national nature reserve over the shoal. Philippine leadership voiced concern over the assertion, which could allow China to maintain its presence 120 nautical miles west of Manila’s most populous island.
In September, Chinese forces began to push against Manila’s fishing initiatives within the West Philippine Sea, a section of the South China Sea that the Philippines claims as its exclusive economic zone. A Philippine sailor was injured during one of these incidents.
The recent joint patrol was the second time this year that an American carrier has participated in joint exercises with Philippine forces, with the first being in January with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group. France’s Charles De Gaulle Carrier Strike Group held Paris’ first joint patrol with Manila a month later.
These exercises have been held between Manila and its partners in the South China Sea amid increased tensions with China. Incidents in recent years have seen Chinese military and militia forces ram, water cannon and interdict Philippine forces at several disputed maritime features across the region. Nations such as the U.S., Japan, Australia, France and India have since joined the patrols to demonstrate support for the Philippines.
Beijing previously sortied warships and aircraft to monitor the joint patrols, which the country describes as provocative and tension-increasing activities. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command deployed a “bomber formation,” likely consisting of H-6 bombers, to monitor the weekend carrier strike group drills. Chinese state media noted that these bombers – equipped with long-range anti-ship missiles – were meant to demonstrate Beijing’s maritime strike capability.
Washington deployed two B-1 bombers for a joint aerial patrol over the South China Sea two weeks ago with Philippine Air Force fighter jets in what Manila claims was an exercise that upheld “the security and sovereignty of the Philippine skies and seas.”
China’s use of military signaling to express displeasure with U.S. engagement with its allies and to assert its illegal territorial claims should be watched closely, Ben Lewis, founder of PLATracker, an organization dedicated to monitoring Chinese military activity and development, told USNI News.
“It is growing increasingly clear that Beijing is seeking to use its military to dictate not only what land it controls, but also what activities its neighbors are allowed to undertake,” Lewis said.
China’s response, coupled with its efforts to deny Manila access to Scarborough Shoal, underscores the value of the Nimitz’s deployment.
“It is crucial that the U.S. continues to signal to both Beijing and the wider region that we are committed to supporting our allies in countering the PRC’s expansionist agenda,” Lewis said.
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