Balikatan Day 3: Chinese ships shadow PH, US and French flotilla in WPS

Several Chinese warships shadowed the naval flotilla of the Philippines, United States and France on the third day of the Balikatan Exercise in the West Philippine Sea.

According to the report of Ian Cruz on 24 Oras on Monday from the BRP Davao del Sur, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were present as the allied ships conducted gunnery drills in the WPS  on Monday.

Heavy machine gun teams on the Davao del Sur, the offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz and the USS Somerset, an amphibious transport dock, fired live rounds at a red Naval Gunnery Target balloon nicknamed a “Killer Tomato” at a distance of 1,000 yards from the passing warships. 

“It is an opportunity for us to test yung ating mga skills ng ating personnel and weapons sa barko  talagang nakuha natin nakuha natin na matarget yung ating killer tomato kanina,” said Commander Marco Sandalo, the captain of the Davao del Sur.

While the gunnery exercise was taking place, the PLAN ships were visible just below the horizon and inside the operational box.

One of the Chinese ships passed behind the Alcaraz and another American amphibious ship, the USS Harpers Ferry.

Three Chinese vessels were also spotted near the exercise area about 30 to 35 nautical miles from the coast of Quezon, Palawan.

First spotted was the PLAN guided missile destroyer Shenzhen with bow number 167.

The Type 815-class electronic surveillance ship Tianwangxing (793) returned as well as one of the Chinese frigates.

The nearest Chinese warship was around 5.8 nautical miles from the Davao del Sur, a landing platform dock that can carry marines, amphibious armored vehicles and helicopters.

The Chinese ships started following the naval flotilla once it sailed into the WPS from the Sulu Sea last Saturday.

“Never naman tayong na-intimidate as long as we have conducted yung ating exercise na safe. Na yun nga tulad ng sinasabi ko as long as we are safe,” Sandalo said.

(We are never intimidated as long as we have conducted our exercise safely.)  

The warships of the three nations transited the WPS in formation with a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter from the Somerset flying overhead to document the historic multinational maritime exercise.

Seen on a map, the group sail is almost directly towards Ayungin Shoal where the grounded BRP Sierra Madre is located.

Ayungin Shoal is near the Panganiban or Mischief Reef that us occupied by China even though the reef is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

An Airbus helicopter from the French frigate Vendemiaire also conducted vertical replenishment training on the flight deck of the Davao del Sur.

The exercise demonstrated how supplies or personnel can be transferred by air even as the ship is underway.

The French helicopter also demonstrated a vertical medical evacuation and a touch and go drill. 

From shooting live bullet rounds, another anticipated part of the exercise is the firing of new missile systems as Balikatan continues in the coming days.—RF, GMA Integrated News