US, Japan, Philippines Stage 1st Trilateral Sea Exercise to Strengthen Defense Ties

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard take part in a simulation during a trilateral maritime exercise with Japan and U.S. coast guards, 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bataan province, western Philippines, on June 6, 2023. Jes Aznar/Getty Images

The coast guards of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines conducted their first trilateral maritime drills in the South China Sea to strengthen defense cooperation amid China’s growing assertiveness.

About 400 coast guard personnel from the three nations participated in the week-long Kaagapay exercises, which began on June 1 in the Philippine waters off Bataan province, GMA News reported.