The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) conducted the 7th Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on Wednesday to enhance maritime interoperability and regional stability in the West Philippine Sea.
A key highlight was a fire support rehearsal led by the US 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (3MLR), simulating littoral combat scenarios to test joint coordination, command integration, and fire support operations.
Additional drills included communications checks, division tactics, officer-of-the-watch maneuvers, and a final exercise—all aimed at strengthening domain awareness and targeting capability.
This MCA marked the first operational deployment of the BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), offering an opportunity to assess the ship’s performance alongside allied forces in a multilateral setting.
Beyond defense training, the activity also included humanitarian and disaster response components, with participation from the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Coast Guard. The AFP said the exercise affirms the two nations’ commitment to maintaining a rule-based order under UNCLOS.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Philippine, US forces strengthen maritime interoperability in bilateral activity”
