One of the world’s strongest Navy, the United Stats Navy held a coordinated sea patrols with both the Philippine and Malaysian Navies in the Sulu Sea. The joint sea patrols by the three navies was conducted after a spate of ship hijackings by Islamist militants early this year.
A high-ranking official of the U.S Navy revealed that the said sea patrols of the US, Philippines and Malaysia were part of the multilateral Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) drills following increased attacks by the Abu Sayyaf on shipping, raising fears the problem could reach levels seen off Somalia.
U.S. Navy Task Force 73 commander Rear Admiral Charles Williams, said that he felt the multilateral training taught them important lessons of relationships between the navies and nations. The program CARAT tested the abilities of all three navies to coordinate maritime security operations in a geographically separated environment at sea.
The US Navy Task Force 73 commander also commented on the upcoimng change of government with President-elect Rody Duterte who will take his office on June 30. He was quoted as saying “So from the U.S. side, I really quite honestly don’t have any idea how, I don’t have any insights on how the incoming president’s policies will matter or will affect what I think is a long history of very successful operations between the Philippine navy and the U.S. Navy. We have not just 22 years, but more than 50 years of very cooperative and very professional engagement between the the two navies and the two countries,” he said.
Williams added further that there will be no changes in the relationship between the United States and teh Philippines even after the results of the arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has lodged a case in The Hague about its dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea, angering China which has pledged not to participate.