Philippine and Indian Navies Conduct First Joint Maritime Exercise in South China Sea Amid Tensions

August 4, 2025

Manila: The navies of the Philippines and India conducted their first joint sailing in the South China Sea, officials announced on Monday, coinciding with President Ferdinand Marcos’s departure for a five-day official visit to India.

The two-day maritime exercise, which began on Sunday within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, marks a significant step in Manila’s efforts to strengthen maritime cooperation in the region.

Since late 2023, the Philippines has engaged in various maritime activities with allied nations—including the United States, Japan, Australia, France, and Canada—to counter China’s expansive territorial claims in the strategic waterway. Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner revealed that the idea for the joint sail originated from a meeting with his Indian counterpart in March, emphasizing the importance of multilateral cooperation in the region.

Brawner noted that the exercise was conducted smoothly, with no incidents, though he acknowledged the presence of surveillance vessels, presumably China’s, which he did not specifically name.

China’s foreign ministry reiterated its position that territorial disputes should be resolved directly between the concerned nations, rejecting third-party intervention. The joint exercise featured India’s guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, tanker INS Shakti, and corvette INS Kiltan, while the Philippines deployed two frigates, BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal.

This maritime cooperation occurs as President Marcos heads to India to explore expanded collaboration in defense, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture sectors. The South China Sea remains a flashpoint, with China claiming nearly the entire area, overlapping with claims from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The region is a vital shipping corridor, facilitating roughly $3 trillion in annual maritime trade. A 2016 international tribunal ruling dismissed China’s claims as lacking legal basis, a stance Beijing continues to reject.