MANILA
\nPhilippine and US navies on Wednesday launched their joint exercise and were joined by seven partner countries, as Manila seeks to boost its naval warfare capabilities and readiness to confront security challenges in the region.
\nExercise Sama Sama started off as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in 1994 between the Philippines and America but changed into its current form in 2017. It seeks to increase interoperability, foster regional cooperation, and tackle non-traditional challenges.
\nThis year, more than 1,800 navy personnel are taking part in the drills from Oct. 2 to 13, including from Japan, Canada, the UK, Australia, and France, while New Zealand and Indonesia are sending observers.
\nPhilippine Navy Chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. noted that Sama Sama equips participating nations to \u201cface an array of threats together,\u201d from territorial defense to countering transnational crimes.
\n\u201cFor us in the Philippine Navy this activity serves as a vital platform for capacity building and empowers us to refine our naval warfare capabilities.
\n\u201cThis exercise enhances our readiness to confront a wide spectrum of security challenges,\u201d Adaci said during his speech at the opening ceremony.
\n\u201cThis year, our interoperability exercises with the US Navy will center on warfighting serials, reinforcing our readiness for joint operations in the face of evolving threats.
\n\u201cWith this show of force and active engagement of our allies and partners, Sama Sama transcends (mere) military exercises. It is a symbol of our enduring partnerships and our shared commitment to security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,\u201d he added.
\nThe exercises are taking place as tensions continue to rise between Manila and Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
\nThe Philippines and China have repeatedly sparred in the resource-rich South China Sea, as Beijing maintained its claim over the region in its entirety while other nations also have claims.
\nVessels of the two countries have faced off several times this year in areas Manila said is part of its exclusive economic zones.
\nSama Sama also reflects increased defense engagements between the Philippines and the US since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last year, after relations ebbed during the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who leaned more toward Beijing.
\nThrough Sama Sama, the Philippines was seeking to build relationships with allies and partner nations to boost its territorial defense capabilities, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said.
\n\u201cWhen it comes to territorial defense, we cannot do it alone. So, we have to leverage our alliances and our partnerships with like-minded nations. So that\u2019s what we are doing,\u201d Brawner told Arab News.
\n\u201cPart of our defensive posture in the West Philippine Sea is doing operations together with our partners. So, the joint sail, joint exercises, these are all part of that overall build-up of our defensive posture in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MANILA Philippine and US navies on Wednesday launched their joint exercise and were joined by seven partner countries, as Manila seeks to boost its naval warfare capabilities and readiness to confront security challenges in the region. Exercise Sama Sama started off as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in 1994 between the Philippines and America but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-359493","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n