Philippines and India to Conduct Maritime Partnership Exercise in West Philippine Sea
India and the Philippines are conducting a maritime partnership exercise (MPX) in the West Philippine Sea to enhance maritime cooperation. The exercise involves India’s warship INS Kadmatt and the Philippine Navy’s BRP Ramon Alcaraz. The collaboration aims to boost interoperability and share best practices, contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
India also expressed interest in stronger engagements with the Philippines, particularly in the areas of economic cooperation and national security. The exercise is expected to promote common approaches for a rules-based order in the region.
“The Philippines is centrally located in the Indo-Pacific and we are very close partners, fellow democracies. We have a shared interest in peace and stability of the region— a lot of complementarities. So, you will expect that India will continue a strong Navy and maritime security engagement,” Kumaran said.
“On the national security pillar, defense cooperation and maritime security is very important,” he said.
The Indian envoy stated that New Delhi would continue to support Manila in advocating for adherence to a rules-based order and respect for international law in the South China Sea.
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The Indian Navy’s INS Kadmatt, an indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette, arrived in Manila on a long-range deployment to key Indo-Pacific partner countries on December 12.
The deployment and maritime partnership exercise underscore India’s commitment to enhancing maritime cooperation and security in the region.
