Overview

• Philippine monitoring counted five China Coast Guard cutters, 11 fast boats and RHIBs, and nine maritime militia vessels at the shoal, supported by a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle.
• Several small Chinese craft appeared upgraded with mounted heavy weapons, while larger ships practiced water‑cannon maneuvers and smaller boats were seen laying a net across an entrance to the shoal.
• Two rubber boats launched from the BRP Sierra Madre blocked approaches as a Chinese boat came within roughly 50 meters (about 164 feet) of the grounded outpost, according to Philippine officials.
• China’s coast guard accused Philippine vessels of provocation and said it had implemented unspecified control measures, releasing a short video to support its account.
• The buildup follows a publicized Aug. 11 collision between Chinese navy and coast guard ships near Scarborough Shoal and coincides with expanded Philippine‑Australian defense cooperation and large joint drills.