Pummeled by fighter jets, warships and land-based artillery, the decommissioned Philippine Navy ship BRP Lake Caliraya floundered under fire for more than two hours before submerging stern-first beneath South China Sea waves.
The 99-meter vessel, originally an oil tanker, was a mock target of Australian, Philippine and United States forces during the 2024 Balikatan exercise. The sinking about 15 kilometers off the city of Laoag was among key drills during the multilateral training at northern Philippine locations, many facing Taiwan. “It was already sinking and with a few rounds from the Army artillery, the ship really sank to the bottom of the sea,” Philippine Lt. Col. Omar Abdullah Al Assaf, an exercise planner, told reporters. It’s now “a shelter for fishes,” he said.
Balikatan’s 39th iteration in late April and early May took place amid increased tension in parts of the South China Sea that Filipinos call the West Philippine Sea. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims much of the resource-rich sea and continues to ignore an international tribunal’s 2016 ruling that many of the contested maritime features are within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone. Chinese coast guard ships have rammed, blocked and fired water cannons at Philippine vessels conducting routine patrols and resupply missions to a military outpost on Second Thomas Shoal.
Beijing also claims Taiwan — the Philippines’ northern neighbor — as its territory and threatens to annex the self-governed island by force.
Balikatan organizers said the goal was for participants to rehearse seamless operations as a unified force, preparing for any contingency and reflecting the concept of integrated all-domain deterrence.
IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS CONNECT
The exercise also included participation of French forces, as well as 14 observer nations: Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. More than 16,000 Philippine and U.S. troops operated under a joint command center, with training focused on attack responses, The Washington Post newspaper reported.
Balikatan featured several firsts, including drills conducted beyond the Philippines’ territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (about 22 kilometers), in open seas illegally claimed by the PRC. Other notable activities:
- About 200 Philippine and U.S. Soldiers fired missiles and artillery to defeat a simulated amphibious invasion in Ilocos Norte province.
- S. Marines launched amphibious combat vehicles in Philippine waters, marking the armored vessels’ first deployment in the Indo-Pacific.
- An aircraft dropped food and other supplies for Philippine forces on an island in disputed waters.
The exercise was “a huge success,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force. “We collectively are better, more capable and more lethal as a result of this exercise.”
IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS
Beijing, meanwhile, claimed that the exercise was provocative. Chinese warships, and coast guard and maritime militia vessels were seen in the vicinity during the drills, the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper reported.
Philippine Navy Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said his nation aimed to deliver a simple message with the exercise: “We are not alone,” he said, according to The Washington Post. “And we’re ready to defend our sovereign rights.”
