The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted a total of 64 patrol missions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a high-ranking military official reported on Tuesday.
According to AFP Spokesperson Colonel Margareth Padilla, the missions that took place from October 1 to 18 are deemed a success.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines remain steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding our nation’s maritime interests, especially in the WPS,” Padilla stated.
“Our Navy and Air Force conducted 64 successful patrol missions to reinforce the security and sovereignty of our waters,” she added.
Padilla detailed that these operations included two Sealift Missions, 14 Maritime Patrols/Sovereignty Patrols (MARPAT/SOVPAT), one Maritime Surveillance Patrol (MARSUVPAT), one Medical Evacuation (MEDIVAC), and two Rotation and Resupply Missions (RoRe) for naval vessels.
Additionally, she mentioned that AFP’s naval and air force aircraft executed four Maritime Air Surveillance/Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (MAS/ISR) operations, along with 40 Maritime Patrols (MARPAT).
“These patrols strengthen our monitoring of activities in the West Philippine Sea while ensuring seamless support for operations like maritime domain awareness, medical evacuation, and resupply missions,” Padilla explained.
In a press briefing, Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad noted that the military has intensified its efforts in the WPS following Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. ‘s order for the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
“I would say the majority, if not all, of the strategic assets of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force are now geared towards protecting, securing, and monitoring all the way up to our Exclusive Economic Zone. That includes the WPS,” he remarked.
“Yes, there has been a dramatic increase in our activities in the West Philippine Sea after the pronouncement of the [Secretary of Defense].”
The Navy, however, did not release any updated list of Chinese ship numbers this week.
