Japan, Philippines to Hold Joint Naval Drill

Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force said Tuesday it will dispatch P-3C patrol aircraft to the South China Sea later this month for a joint exercise with the Philippine Navy. The exercise, scheduled to take place in waters 140 kilometers northwest of Palawan Island for seven days starting Sunday, will be the first full-fledged joint drill between the two countries. The Philippine Navy will send a patrol plane and a patrol vessel. The drill is intended to strengthen partnership with the Philippine Navy and improve the skills of disaster relief, the MSDF said. The joint drill comes at the request of the Philippines, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Philippine President Benigno Aquino earlier this month agreed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, in the face of heightened tensions in the South China Sea. The site of the upcoming exercise will be about 200 kilometers east of the Spratly Islands, where China is building artificial islands. END