Philippine Navy Gears Up for ‘Sama-Sama’ Naval Exercise with Global Partners

Philippine Navy Gears Up for ‘Sama-Sama’ Naval Exercise with Global Partners

The Philippine Navy is preparing to host this year’s ‘Sama-Sama,’ a bilateral exercise with the United States aimed at enhancing defense cooperation and naval warfare capabilities. Scheduled from October 2 to 13, the exercise is set to involve not only the United States and the Philippines but also the navies of Japan, Australia, Canada, and the UK. The participating nations will engage in various activities that promote expert exchanges, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response events.

(Read Also: Philippine Lawmakers Condemn China’s Barrier at Scarborough Shoal)

Adding to the global collaboration, France and Australia will dispatch personnel for the expert exchanges, while New Zealand and Indonesia will participate as observers. The event is seen as a significant opportunity to enhance the naval warfare capabilities of all the participating nations, covering key aspects such as anti-submarine, anti-surface, anti-air, and electronic warfare.

The timing of the exercise is notable, coming amidst fresh tension between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea. Recent observations have noted heavy coral reef damage in the area, suspected to be caused by Beijing. In a further escalation, China has installed a floating barrier at Scarborough Shoal, barring Filipino fishermen from the area.

The Philippines has removed the barrier and announced plans to file a protest over the matter. In response, China has warned the country against causing trouble. Despite this, the Philippine Navy moves forward with their plans for the ‘Sama-Sama’ exercise, an annual event focused on strengthening defense cooperation between participating nations.

(Also Read: Philippines to Review West Philippine Sea Incidents Since 2016 Arbitral Award)

Greater Interoperability and Crisis Response

The training activities scheduled for ‘Sama-Sama’ are designed to improve interoperability not only with the US Navy but also with various international naval forces. This is achieved through subject matter expert exchanges, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response events. The exercise will also involve over 5,500 personnel participating in two concurrent large-scale bilateral exercises with key allies from northern Japan through the Philippines.

These exercises are vital opportunities to bolster the defensive capabilities of alliances through realistic combined training. The aim of the exercises is to ensure preparedness to rapidly respond to crises throughout the Indo-Pacific region. With the security environment surrounding Japan becoming increasingly turbulent, there is a need to further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance.

Strengthening International Partnerships and Mutual Security

Exercises such as ‘Sama-Sama’ and others like ‘KAMANDAG’ and ‘Resolute Dragon’ play a crucial role in strengthening international partnerships, mutual security, and the ability to rapidly respond to crises throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. Marine Corps’ participation in these exercises is led by the 3rd Marine Division, headquartered on Okinawa, Japan, providing overall command and control for U.S. forces in both exercises.

The exercises aim to increase combined capabilities for amphibious operations, special operations, maritime security, coastal defense, combined arms, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. They also contribute to maintaining the readiness and defensive capabilities of the U.S.-Philippines alliance and the U.S.-Japan alliance.

The ‘Sama-Sama’ exercise represents a significant step towards enhancing naval warfare capabilities and defense cooperation among nations. Amidst escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the exercise underscores the importance of international cooperation and a unified response to potential threats. The event underscores the determination of the participating nations to maintain peace and stability in the region, bolstering their naval forces’ readiness to respond rapidly and efficiently to crises.

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