USA: USS Stethem completes patrol in Western Pacific

By MC2 Ryan M. Harper, USS Stethem Public Affairs

USS Stethem (DDG 63) steams alongside USS Barry (DDG 52) during a formation exercise as part of MultiSail 2017 in March. (U.S. Navy/MC2 William McCann) >>

YOKOSUKA, Japan - The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) returned to Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, May 28.

Stethem departed Yokosuka in January to begin its 2017 patrol in the Western Pacific.

“Over the past four months, our operations provided maritime presence in the Indo-Asia Pacific region and strengthened our relationships with key allies,” said Cmdr. Doug Pegher, Stethem's commanding officer.

While on patrol, Stethem participated in the bilateral exercise MultiSail 2017, Foal Eagle 2017, and conducted operations in the Sea of Japan, the Philippine Sea, the South and East China Seas, and the Yellow Sea.

News Report: In Sign of Closer Sino-Philippine Ties, US Naval Exercises Skip a Disputed Sea

Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI — Annual exercises held by the Philippine and U.S. navies are skipping the South China Sea this year as the Southeast Asian nation’s leader takes another step toward a stronger political and economic relationship with China, the sea’s most ambitious claimant.

The “Balikatan” military exercises May 8-19 include a disaster drill off Aurora province on the Pacific Ocean side of the main Philippine island, Luzon. They have kept clear of disputed tracts in the South China Sea. Beijing’s maritime claims overlap Manila’s in the South China Sea off the west Luzon coast.

Avoidance of the disputed sea advances Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s friendship with China after four years of open disagreement that had landed in a world arbitration court.

“President Duterte has never been a true geopolitical person, which means that foreign policy is about economic policy, and you can see this in the way he actually justifies or explains the approach to China,” said Herman Kraft, a political scientist at University of the Philippines Diliman.

News Story: Philippines, US troops to hold drills near Benham

By Jaime Laude

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino and American troops will launch a naval disaster drill off Casiguran, Aurora near Benham Rise during this year’s joint Balikatan military exercises.

Officials said the joint military exercises would now focus on humanitarian response drills.

Dubbed as Civil-Military Activities from the Sea (CMA-S), the joint naval disaster maneuver will be conducted off the coastal areas of the country’s eastern seaboard.

This year’s Balikatan will involve units of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

“Our ships with the US and the PCG will navigate from Subic Bay and they will be passing by the waters off Zambales, Cagayan Valley on their way to Casiguran, Aurora for launching of the sea-based disaster response scenario,” Balikatan spokesman for the Philippines Maj. Frank Sayson said.

Sayson said the joint disaster naval exercise along the Pacific coastline from Subic is expected to start on May 7 and be completed with a week.

Read the full story at PhilStar

USA: CSG-1, JMSDF ships refine maritime skills while transiting Western Pacific

From Carrier Strike Group 1 Public Affairs

In this file photo, ships of the JMSDF and Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group steam in formation at the conclusion of a bilateral exercise in the Philippine Sea in March. (U.S. Navy/MC3 Kurtis A. Hatcher) >>

PHILIPPINE SEA - Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commenced an at-sea bilateral exercise in the Philippine Sea, April 23 (local).

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy DDG (112) were joined by JMSDF destroyers JS Samidare (DD-106) and JS Ashigara (DDG-178), both out of Sasebo, Japan, as the San Diego-based strike group continued its northern transit in the Western Pacific.

The routine exercise is designed to improve combined maritime response and defense capabilities, increase combined maneuvering proficiency, and ensure maritime forces remain ready to defend the region when called upon.

News Report: US Senators to Get Rare Briefing at White House on North Korea Threat

Steve Herman

WHITE HOUSE — All 100 U.S. senators have been invited to the White House on Wednesday for a classified briefing that will primarily concern North Korea, the administration announced Monday.

The briefing will be conducted by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford.

While lawmakers often receive classified briefings on Capitol Hill, it is rare for them to take place at the White House and for the entire Senate to be involved in one event.

During a White House lunch with ambassadors of United Nations Security Council member states on Monday, the U.S. president called unacceptable the "status quo in North Korea."

Trump said the Security Council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"North Korea is a big world problem, and it's a problem we have to finally solve," the president added. "People have put blindfolds on for decades, and now it's time to solve the problem."

News Story: Japanese warships join with carrier Vinson on exercises

Image: Flickr User - Official U.S. Navy Page

By: Christopher P. Cavas

WASHINGTON – Two Japanese destroyers joined up with the Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the Philippine Sea Sunday for renewed bilateral exercises, the Japan-based U.S. Seventh Fleet announced. The Vinson is headed north for the Sea of Japan in an expression of U.S. resolve as North Korea continues to develop offensive ballistic missiles with nuclear capability. 

The Vinson, with the cruiser Lake Champlain and destroyer Michael Murphy, was joined June 22 by the Ashigara and Samidare of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, Seventh Fleet said in a press release. The Ashigara, like the U.S. escort ships, is equipped with the Aegis combat system. 

Seventh Fleet, in the release, said the joining of forces was a “routine exercise designed to improve combined maritime response and defense capabilities, increase combined maneuvering proficiency, and ensure maritime forces remain ready to defend the region when called upon.” 

It’s the fourth time since deploying from San Diego on January 5 that the Vinson has operated with Japanese ships. The carrier most recently exercised with Japanese warships in late March, also in the Philippine Sea, just after concluding three weeks of exercises with South Korean forces during Exercise Foal Eagle. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Navy’s warship to patrol Benham, says AFP chief

BRP Tarlac (File Photo)

By Jaime Laude

MANILA, Philippines - Vessel (SSV) BRP Davao del Sur will be deployed to patrol Benham Rise once the vessel is delivered by the Indonesian defense contractor next month, Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año said.

The BRP Davao del Sur will be the second SSV of the Navy. The military is also expecting the delivery of two missile-firing Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) by November.

“BRB Lanao del Sur will also be deployed in Benham Rise. With our naval assets we could now conduct regular maritime security patrols,” Año said.

Aside from the two ships, additional fast crafts and other assets are being planned for the Navy, part of the ongoing AFP Modernization Program.

The BRP Davao Del Sur is now undergoing sea trial.

The vessel is the sister ship of the BRP Tarlac that is currently the Navy’s largest operational warship.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Duterte - No weapons in island occupation

Philippine President Duterte

By Christina Mendez

MANILA, Philippines - No new weapons are being eyed for islets and land features in the West Philippine Sea over which President Duterte wants the military to exercise greater control.

The President made the clarification yesterday at the Davao International Airport shortly before departing for Saudi Arabia. His pronouncements came on the heels of Beijing’s voicing concern over his earlier statement that he had ordered the military to occupy at least nine islets and reefs under Philippine control.

“For the information of China, we will not place there any offensive weapons, not even one gun,” he said.

“We are just there to claim the island for us because that is really ours and I have ordered the AFP to build structures there to signify, atin ito (it’s ours),” he maintained, referring to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Reacting to Duterte’s order, Beijing had urged the President to “properly manage” the dispute over areas in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea.

Duterte explained he issued the order amid a “heightening of geopolitical issues” and stressed he did not want “to get involved in any war with nations.”

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Report: Philippines Signals it Will Challenge China Over Maritime Disputes

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s plans to deploy troops to islands in the disputed South China Sea and personally plant a flag there indicate the country has tired of China’s maritime expansion, despite friendly relations since October.

Duterte told reporters Thursday he would send troops to nine tiny features in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea just west of the main Philippine archipelago.

Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have claims in the same island chain.

His announcement Thursday also called for new or repaired facilities on the Philippines’ Spratly holdings, news outlets in Manila said.

China voiced its surprise and concern about the latest development at a regular press briefing Friday. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing is speaking with the Philippines about the planned deployment and hopes to resolve the matter soon.

News Story: DFA - China did not explain presence in Benham Rise

By Patricia Lourdes Viray

MANILA, Philippines — In its reply to the Philippines' note verbale seeking clarification over their presence in Benham Rise, Beijing only affirmed that they recognize Manila's sovereign rights over the undersea plateau.

China, however, did not explain the reason why they were in the area, the Philippines' top diplomat said Tuesday.

"They replied to us when we requested for this information of what they were doing. What they did reply was they recognize our sovereign rights over Benham Rise," Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said in a televised press briefing.

Manalo earlier said that the Philippines had denied previous requests of China to conduct marine research in Benham Rise due to failure to fulfill requirements.

Asked if China violated the Philippines' sovereign rights over the region by passing through Benham Rise without permission, Manalo said that Beijing might only be exercising the right of innocent passage.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Phl Rise - Government eyes renaming of Benham

By Christina Mendez

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of the Executive Secretary to determine how the Philippines can further assert its rights over Benham Rise by renaming it Philippine Rise.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said yesterday  the DFA and the Office of the Executive Secretary have been tasked to look into the possibility of changing the name of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise to emphasize Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area.

“A motion has been made subject to the conduct of the requisite legal and logistical study to effect the change,” Abella said. 

The other day, Duterte revealed his Cabinet briefed him on the Philippines’ jurisdiction over a seismically active undersea region and extinct volcano ridge located beneath the Philippine Sea approximately 250 kms (160 miles) east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela.

After conflicting statements from the President and his subalterns on whether there was clearance for Chinese ships to navigate the area, Duterte’s recent statements indicate that he now has clearer knowledge about the area.

“That’s how it is, so you will understand – this is the land, the Philippines. It’s not like when you get to the territory, you’ll fall immediately because it’s a mountainous area. The continental shelf is the one connected to our land, under the sea,” he said in Filipino during an event last Friday at Malacañang marking the end of Women’s Month. 

Duetrte explained to the crowd that Benham Rise is a submerged area, which makes it part of the Philippines’ continental shelf.

Earlier, a supplemental impeachment complaint was filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano against Duterte for his failure to assert the country’s exclusive sovereignty and maritime rights and territorial claims over Benham Rise, aside from Panatag Shoal.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Phl to raise SCS construction during Beijing meet

By Pia Lee-Brago

MANILA, Philippines -  The Philippines will raise China’s construction of military facilities in the South China Sea during the bilateral consultation mechanism meeting in May, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said yesterday.

This position will be adopted despite China’s assurances that the reports on building permanent structures on Panatag (Scarborough) shoal “are not official government plans” and that China has “no intention of doing that.”

In an interview on Isss, Manalo said China’s construction activities within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the images released by the Washington-based CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) on these developments are taken by the Philippines “very seriously” and “we will have to seek clarification from China on what these are all about.” 

“What is important is that we are constantly monitoring this and we are certainly not sleeping on this. The DFA in coordination with other security agencies is keeping a tight watch on developments,” Manalo added. “We will have to verify with China. It will be one of the issues. What is the intention of building this?”

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: DFA chief - Duterte misquoted on Benham Rise issue

By Patricia Lourdes Viray

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte was again taken out of context when he said that Chinese ships are allowed to survey Benham Rise, the Philippines' top diplomat said Thursday.

Duterte earlier said that he does not see the reported presence of Chinese ships in the 13-million-hectare area off the coast of Aurora as an "incursion" into the country's territorial waters.

Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said that what Duterte meant was that the Chinese are welcome to conduct a friendly visit to the Philippines.

"He wasn't referring to Benham Rise. He was referring to, for example Russia sent a ship here, you're welcome to visit as long as it's friendly or in accordance with Philippine law. It wasn't in connection with the Benham Rise issue," Manalo said in an interview with ANC's Hot Copy on Headstart.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Philippines identifies Chinese ship seen loitering in Benham Rise

By Camille Diola

MANILA, Philippines — Defense authorities have identified the Chinese vessel that stayed for three months in Benham Rise last year, the National Security Council chief said on Thursday.

"We have the name of the ship," retired military general Hermogenes Esperon said, stopping short of revealing the vessel's name. "It could conduct biological as well as hydrographic surveys, but we have no indications that it was surveying what was in the seabed as of now."

Esperon, who was answering senators' queries at a joint Senate hearing of the finance and economic affairs panels, said that the military is still profiling the vessel and is preparing a full report.

The Department of National Defense earlier this year raised concern over Chinese vessels spotted in Benham Rise off the northeastern portion of the Philippines' landmass. It said that one vessel lingered from September to November without a research permit.

The Chinese foreign ministry, however, invoked the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea's freedom of navigation and innocent passage provisions in justifying the vessels' presence over the Philippines' undersea territory.

Esperon, meanwhile, said that the length of the stay of the vessels indicates the activity was "not really simply innocent passage or freedom of navigation."

"Research was conducted but it could not be established where it was conducted, if it was outside the [Philippines' exclusive economic zone] or not," Esperon said at Wednesday's hearing.

Asked about the incident earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesperson insisted that the country has a research deal with Beijing allowing vessels in Benham Rise. The Department of Foreign Affairs and the DND denied knowledge of such an agreement.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Philippines declined past Chinese requests over Benham Rise

By Camille Diola

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has turned down requests from China to conduct marine scientific research in the Benham Rise area prior to the sighting of Chinese vessels last year by defense authorities.

Maria Lourdes Montero, officer in charge of a Department of Foreign Affairs' maritime body, said that her office received applications for research on the Philippines' potentially resource-rich undersea plateau in 2015 and 2016.

While failing to specify the number of applications, Montero said these were usually declined after coordination with concerned government agencies due to the "non-involvement of Filipino scientists in the conduct of marine scientific research."

She said the DFA's Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office processes applications from researchers abroad or researching states for permits for scientific activities on the country's seabed.

"Strictly for marine scientific research purposes, but not (economic) exploration because that's governed by certain parameters under our Constitution and domestic law," Montero said at Wednesday's joint Senate hearing by finance and economic affairs panels.

The Department of National Defense earlier this year raised concern over Chinese vessels spotted in Benham Rise off the northeastern portion of the Philippines' landmass. It said that one vessel lingered for three months from September to November.

Montero, however, could not confirm if the suspicious activities were by the entities whose applications were previously rejected.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Philippines to conduct air patrols in Benham

Japanese TC-90 (Image: Wiki Commons)

By Michael Punongbayan

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will use its newly acquired TC-90 aircraft from Japan to patrol the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise where incidents of China’s incursion were recorded.

The Philippine Navy officially received the first two of five TC-90 patrol planes from the government of Japan yesterday.

Japan has agreed to lease five patrol planes to the Philippines at minimal cost. The delivery of the other three planes is expected in 2018.

“We can use that anywhere, any part of the country where these are needed,” AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año told reporters during the turnover ceremony of the two patrol planes in Sangley Point, Cavite yesterday morning.

Asked if the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise are among the areas that will be patrolled, Año said “yes.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Japanese State Minister for Defense Kenji Wakamiya led the turnover ceremony at the Naval Air Group headquarters in Sangley Point.

Japan has temporarily leased TC-90 patrol aircraft to the Philippines under several agreements in 2015 and 2016 pending another agreement that will allow Japan to donate the aircraft.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: (Philippines) Senate sets Benham Rise hearing

By Paolo Romero

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate committee on economic affairs will resume on Wednesday its hearings on Benham Rise to tackle security and environmental concerns following reports of suspicious Chinese activities in the area.

“We have found it prudent to conduct another hearing in order to paint a clearer picture of the facts as we explore long-term strategies to uphold and defend our sovereign rights over Benham Rise,” said committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian.

He plans to ask the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and defense department for details on the Chinese incursion as well as the diplomatic exchanges between Philippine and Chinese officials on the matter.

The scheduled hearing will also tackle issues on biodiversity conservation and management of marine and energy resources.

“There is an urgent need to conduct extensive scientific research in Benham Rise to fully discover how its development will benefit the Filipino people. These plans must be put into place now so that future generations of Filipinos will be able to reap the benefits of the area’s ecological wealth and unexplored energy resources,” Gatchalian said.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Senate sets hearing on Benham Rise security, development

MANILA, Philippines  — The Senate Committee on Economic Affairs will hold a hearing on Wednesday on defense and security concerns in Benham Rise, its chairman said.

In a statement on the Senate website, Sen. Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian said the hearing will be a continuation of a March 7 hearing on a bill filed by Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara to create a Benham Rise Development Authority.

"We have found it prudent to conduct another hearing in order to paint a clearer picture of the facts as we explore long-term strategies to uphold and defend our sovereign rights over the Benham Rise," Gatchalian said.

Benham Rise, which is part of the Philippines' extended continental shelf, has been in the news of late after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disclosed that a Chinese ship was spotted loitering in the area for three months last year.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Unidentified drone buzzes Philippines Navy ship in Benham Rise

BRP Ramon Alcaraz (Image: Wiki Commons)

By Jaime Laude

MANILA, Philippines - An unidentified aircraft, possibly an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a drone, buzzed the Philippine Navy warship while the latter was conducting maritime and sovereignty patrol on Benham Rise Friday afternoon.

Navy officials, however, have yet to receive full details on the unexpected “encounter” between the unidentified AUV and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF16), a Navy warship sent by the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) to secure the country’s maritime domain on the Pacific Ocean side. 

“I’ll check first with Nolcom because they have operational control of FF16,” Navy spokesman Capt. Lued Lincuna said in reference to ABS-CBN’s report that a possible drone suddenly appeared in the sky above the patrolling Alcaraz on Friday.

In a text message, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said that as of Saturday afternoon, the aircraft has remained unidentified.The buzzing of Alcaraz on Benham Rise has become viral in a defense blog maintained by defense and military observers.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: No monitoring station on Panatag – Beijing

BEIJING – China is not building an environmental monitoring station on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, its foreign ministry said yesterday, apparently denying remarks made by a local official last week.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said reports about the facility on Scarborough Shoal had been checked and were found to be false.

Hua’s statement came almost simultaneously with Manila’s announcement that it was seeking clarification from Beijing on reports on the planned building of monitoring facilities on the shoal.

“That does not exist at all,” Hua told reporters at a regularly scheduled news briefing.

The official Hainan Daily newspaper had quoted Xiao Jie, the mayor of what China calls Sansha City, as saying the monitoring station is included in the Chinese government’s projects lined up for this year.

Sansha is the name given by China to the municipal government that administers several island groups, including disputed areas like the Spratly Islands.

Such a move would likely renew concerns among Beijing’s neighbors over its assertive territorial claims in the sea.

The uninhabited shoal came under Chinese control in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine Navy personnel who had tried to arrest Chinese poachers in the area. 

China’s construction and land reclamation work in the South China Sea have drawn strong criticism from the US and other countries, who accuse Beijing of further militarizing the region and altering geography to bolster its claims.

Read the full story at PhilStar