US Forms Task Force to Support Philippines in South China Sea

The deliberately grounded Philippine ship BRP Sierra Madre serves as a Philippine outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 9, 2023. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

A U.S. embassy official said on Nov. 21 that the U.S. military is supporting Philippine operations in the South China Sea with a special task force named for a contested shoal where Philippine and Chinese forces have clashed.

Task Force Ayungin is named for the shoal known as the Second Thomas Shoal.