WWII ship sinks ahead of US, Philippine military exercise
A Philippine Navy ship featured in World War II sank on Monday just hours ahead of a joint military exercise between the United States and the Philippines.
U.S. and Philippine military officials told The Associated Press that the BRP Miguel Malvar sank on Monday, forcing officials to cancel a maritime strike test that would have involved the sinking of the decommissioned naval vessel as part of the annual Balikatan exercises.
The Associated Press reported that the Philippine military confirmed that the decommissioned naval vessel took on water while it was being towed into rough waters facing the South China Sea and sank roughly 30 nautical miles from the Zambales province of the Philippines. The Philippine military added that no individuals were on the ship when it sank on Monday.
Philippine Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado told The Associated Press, 'It's an 80-year-old dilapidated ship and it wasn't able to withstand the rough seas.'
According to The Associated Press, the BRP Miguel Malvar was decommissioned in 2021 by the Philippine Navy. The outlet noted that Philippine Navy Capt. John Percie Alcos explained the ship was initially constructed in the 1940s as a patrol vessel for the U.S. Navy.
READ MORE: US, Philippines hold 'full battle test' drills amid tension with China
According to the U.S. Navy's Naval History and Heritage Command, the BRP Miguel Malvar, which was first known as the USS Brattleboro, was used by the U.S. Navy for over 20 years prior to being transferred to the Vietnam People's Navy and later to the Philippine military. Naval History and Heritage Command noted that the Brattleboro earned three battle stars during World War II and played an active role in the Battle of Okinawa, where the ship 'treated over 200 badly wounded men and rescued in excess of 1,000 survivors of ships that sank.'
The Associated Press reported that the canceled joint ship-sinking military exercise was initially planned to take place in an area facing the Scarborough Shoal, which has been disputed due to confrontations between the Chinese and Philippine military forces in the region. The outlet noted that the Chinese Coast Guard, the People's Liberation Army's Navy, and suspected militia ships have been observed guarding the Scarborough Shoal, while the Philippines has also defended claims to the Scarborough Shoal.
According to The Associated Press, the joint ship-sinking military exercise was expected to be the third ship-sinking exercise to be held by the United States and the Philippines in recent years.
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