The Philippine military has underscored the urgent need for additional vessels and platforms to secure the country’s territorial waters, amid rising tensions with Beijing in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Military chief General Romer Brawner made these comments recently during the ADAS 2024 event.
Brawner emphasised that the country is exploring significant procurement initiatives aligned with its new defence strategy, the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC). This strategy aims to fortify protection over the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which encompasses the waters of the South China Sea as defined by Manila.
“Our military requires additional ships and platforms for maritime patrol, including aircraft,” Brawner stated. He highlighted the necessity of enhancing military bases to accommodate these new vessels.
The Navy’s recent activities coincide with alarming reports of a record number of Chinese vessels operating in the West Philippine Sea. On September 24, Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad disclosed that the number of Chinese ships had surged to 251, marking the highest concentration recorded this year. This includes 28 Chinese coast guard ships, 16 People’s Liberation Army Navy warships, 204 maritime militia vessels, and three research and survey vessels, all monitored between September 17 and 23.
This figure represents a notable increase from the previous week’s count of 157 vessels. Trinidad noted that the majority of these Chinese ships were sighted in Sabina Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, areas where the Philippines has established a naval outpost. Previous supply missions by the Philippine coast guard and Navy to these locations have faced obstruction or harassment from Chinese vessels.
Trinidad reiterated that the presence of Chinese ships in the Philippines’ EEZ is illegal, asserting that the recent surge in Chinese maritime activity is consistent with the operational capabilities of China’s South Sea Fleet.
The South China Sea remains a critical maritime route, facilitating approximately $3 trillion in trade annually. The region is subject to overlapping claims from the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei, with China maintaining its contentious nine-dash line assertion. A 2016 ruling by a tribunal in The Hague invalidated China’s claims and reaffirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights in this resource-rich area—a decision that Beijing has yet to acknowledge.
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