Overview

• Warships HMAS Brisbane, HMCS Ville de Québec and BRP Jose Rizal trained east of the shoal with fighter jets and helicopters to counter simulated air threats, according to the Philippine military.
• The activity formed part of Exercise Alon 2025, the largest Philippine–Australian drill to date, with events scheduled to wrap up Friday and Canadian participation alongside supporting partners.
• The Philippine side reported the drills concluded safely and did not cite encounters with Chinese vessels guarding the atoll, while Beijing has repeatedly asserted it would defend the area it claims.
• Tensions have intensified since an Aug. 11 collision between a Chinese navy ship and a China Coast Guard cutter near Scarborough that severely damaged the cutter; Philippine officials say video suggests possible fatalities, which China has not confirmed.
• Two U.S. Navy ships conducted freedom-of-navigation transits near the shoal days later and were shadowed by a Chinese vessel without incident, as Chinese deployments expanded elsewhere in the South China Sea.