Warship Sinks Before Planned US Missile Strike Drills With Ally
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
One of the highest-profile events of the ongoing United States-Philippines Balikatan military exercise—the sinking of a decommissioned warship—was canceled Monday after the doomed vessel sank before the shooting could even get underway.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command by email for comment outside of office hours.
Why It Matters
Balikatan is the largest annual military exercise conducted jointly by the U.S. and the Philippines, one of Washington's oldest allies in Asia. This year's edition is the largest yet, involving roughly 14,000 American and Philippine troops and contingents from Australia and Japan.
The drills are being held amid escalating tensions with China, driven by Beijing's expansive moves within the Philippines' maritime zone and large-scale war games around Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its territory. This year's Balikatan includes exercises aiming to boost interoperability among allied forces with an eye toward the East Asian power.
What To Know
The ship chosen for the MARSTRIKE exercise, World War II-era corvette BRP Miguel Malvar, took on water as it was moved into position about 35 miles west of the Philippines' Zambales province, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said in a statement.
The Philippine Navy confirmed it sank at 7:20 a.m., four nautical miles (4.6 miles) from its intended position. No personnel were injured in the incident.
The BRP Miguel Malvar being brought into position for the Balikatan exercise SINKEX event on May 5, 2025.
The BRP Miguel Malvar being brought into position for the Balikatan exercise SINKEX event on May 5, 2025.
Armed Forces of the Philippines
"Prior to towing the target vessel to the operational area, the BRP Miguel Malvar underwent environmental cleaning and preparation for the MARSTRIKE," the AFP said. "As is common, the vessel was selected because it exceeded its service life and was no longer suitable for normal operations."
The venerable warship served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II, including the invasions of the Philippines and Okinawa. After being transferred to the then-South Vietnamese Navy in 1966, it was passed to the Philippines in 1976 and served until decommissioned in December 2021.
Although this year's sink exercise (SINKEX) will not proceed as planned, other elements of the live-fire drill will continue.
"The training will integrate ground, maritime, and air-based sensors and shooters into a combined, joint fires network, as the Philippine and U.S. joint task forces exercise command and control while increasing combined warfighting capability, said the AFP.
Chinese state media outlet the Global Times called the premature sinking of the corvette "an awkward situation."
China has previously criticized joint U.S.-Philippine exercises as "currying favor and colluding with the U.S. and other outside countries to make provocations."
Beijing has also repeatedly protested the recent first-ever deployment of U.S. anti-ship missiles to a far-north Philippine island near Taiwan.
What People Are Saying
Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos told reporters: "Due to rough sea conditions that we are currently experiencing in the exercise box and with its long service life, as is expected, she took on a significant amount of water and eventually sank."
What Happens Next
The Balikatan exercise will conclude on Saturday.
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