Austin says US troops deployed to 'US Task Force Ayungin'

I visited the Command and Control Fusion Centerin Palawan today. I also met with some American service members deployed to U.S. Task Force Ayungin, and I thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the American people and our alliances and partnerships in this region. pic.twitter.com/baqgo72r1T

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) November 19, 2024

During his visit to Palawan, United States (US) Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said that American soldiers are deployed to  “Task Force Ayungin.”

“I visited the Command and Control Fusion Center in Palawan today,” Austin said on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

“I also met with some American service members deployed to US Task Force Ayungin, and I thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the American people and our alliances and partnerships in this region,” he added.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the US troops in Palawan provide technical assistance through the information-sharing group within the Command and Control Fusion Center in Western Command.

"This support enhances our capability in maritime domain awareness, a critical task that aids in planning and implementing programs and activities to protect our interests in the West Philippine Sea," AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said.

Ayungin Shoal is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands. It is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is within the Philippines 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The World War II-era BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999. The ship has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the offshore territory.

Chinese vessels had been blocking Philippine ships doing resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal. The US government has been calling out China for these actions.

Austin and his counterpart in the Philippines, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., traveled to Palawan as they discussed defense cooperative activities and regional security concerns.

“Specifically, they highlighted the need for deeper coordination to address challenges in the South China Sea, where lawful operations by the Philippines have encountered repeated harassment by the People’s Republic of China,” they said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

China has a massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS), including the portion the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has not recognized the decision. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA Integrated News