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The US, Italy, and Australia have concluded joint exercises in the South China Sea.
What’s the deal: According to a readout from the US Navy, exercises in the South China Sea from Sunday to Wednesday featured the US guided-missile destroyer USS Russell, an Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft, and Italian navy vessels ITS Cavour, ITS Alpino, and ITS Raimondo Montecuccoli. The drills focused on air defense, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, tactics, and command and control scenarios.
What the US is saying: Vice Adm. Kacher, commander of the US 7th Fleet, said, “These multilateral exercises are a concrete demonstration of the advances we are making alongside our allies and partners in the region. They present dynamic opportunities to hone our skills in one of the most complex maritime regions in the world.
What Italy is saying: In a statement, Rear Adm. Giancarlo Ciappina, commander, Italian Carrier Strike Group, said, “This multilateral exercise has been another great opportunity to highlight the professionalism of our crews and the ability to join, train and be ready to operate together, projecting our forces for months, away from home. Another demonstration of the strong determination and commitment that exists among allies and partners everywhere in the world. Our cohesion and integration in the planning and preparation of the serial activities allowed us to work as a tight and strong team, synergizing our efforts and enhancing the value of multinational cooperation and proving the existing and effective interoperability among our forces”
What Australia is saying: Headquarters Joint Operations Command, Joint Force Air Component Commander Air Commodore Michael Grant said, “These types of activities demonstrate our collective commitment to regional and international cooperation to support an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. By training and operating together, our forces can build upon shared tactics, techniques, and procedures to enhance interoperability and readiness to respond to shared security challenges.”
Digging Deeper: The drills in the South China Sea come amid rising tensions between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes. China has been aggressively asserting control over the area, which it claims almost entirely, often leading to conflicts with nations like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The US and its allies, including Italy and Australia, have criticized China’s actions, accusing it of destabilizing the region and violating international law.
