Philippines, India hold 2nd joint drills in West Philippine Sea
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and India held their second joint naval exercises in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday, November 26.
The drills involved the Philippine Navy's BRP Jose Rizal, Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jets, and a W-3A Sokol search and rescue helicopter, alongside India's INS Sahyadri, a guided missile frigate with an onboard helicopter, according to a statement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The forces ran through communication exercises and flag hoist drills to refine visual and radio coordination, followed by Officer of the Watch maneuvers and a photo exercise featuring a low pass by FA-50s. The exercises concluded with a passing exercise.
AFP Chief of Public Affairs Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the exercises “reflect growing synergy” between the two navies and reaffirm both countries’ commitment to maintaining security and freedom of navigation in the region.
The activity came months after Manila and New Delhi elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership in August, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited India for the first time since 2007. The two countries signed 13 bilateral agreements covering defense, maritime security, trade, and technology cooperation, backed by a plan of action running through 2029.
This also marks the second Philippine-Indian maritime cooperative activity this year. The first, held in August 2025 near Masinloc, Zambales, included anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, and replenishment drills.
Manila has been broadening its defense partnerships beyond the US to allow it to better patrol and deter potential threats in the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea that falls within its exclusive economic zone. China continues to assert its claims in the area with a fleet of naval and coast guard vessels that far outnumber the Philippines’ own forces.
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