Philippines, US joint air patrol exercises underway over South China
A Philippine Air Force FA-50 takes off during the US-Philippines joint air force military exercise dubbed 'Cope Thunder' at Basa Air Base in Pampanga on Apr 11, 2024. (File photo: AFP/Jam Sta Rosa)
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MANILA: The air forces of the Philippines and the United States were holding joint patrols over the South China Sea on Tuesday (Feb 4), a spokesperson for the Philippine Air Force said, as Manila said it was monitoring three Chinese vessels in its maritime zones.
The one-day exercise was being carried out in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Air Force spokesperson Maria Consuelo Castillo said, using Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone.
Castillo said the two Philippine FA-50 fighter aircrafts and two US B1-B bombers were taking part in the exercises, which will include flying over Scarborough Shoal, a disputed maritime feature in the South China Sea which China controls.
"This is not in relation to any particular issue. This is just part of the usual training we have," Castillo told a media briefing.
