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Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
World War II-era ship sinks before US-Philippine forces can use in drills
Listen to article A World War II-era US Navy ship intended to be sunk in a live-fire military exercise by US and Philippine forces sank prematurely on Monday, slipping beneath the South China Sea before any missile or bomb could strike it. The ex-USS Brattleboro, which served in key Pacific battles more than 80 years ago, was to be the centrepiece target in the "Balikatan" joint drills currently underway off the coast of Luzon. 'The vessel was selected because it exceeded its service life and was no longer suitable for normal operations,'Philippine military officials said. 'Due to rough sea conditions that we are currently experiencing in the excercise box and with its long service life as it expected, she took on a significant amount of water and eventually sank,' said Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos. He confirmed that the 184-foot ship, which was not damaged during towing, sank at 7:20 am local time. The Brattleboro had been selected for the drill's MARSTRIKE (maritime strike) phase because it was no longer operational. It was meant to be destroyed by a combination of US Marine Corps F/A-18 jets, anti-ship missiles, bombs, and cannon fire. Despite the vessel's early demise, the rest of the MARSTRIKE training will proceed, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement. 'The combined force will still achieve its training objectives,' the military said, The vessel had been thoroughly cleaned before deployment and posed no environmental risk, according to the Philippine military. The annual Balikatan exercise, running from April 21 to May 9, aims to strengthen cooperation and readiness between the US and Philippine armed forces amid rising tensions in the region. History of ex- USS Brattleboro The ex-USS "Brattleboro" met an unceremonious end on Monday, but its history spanned some of the most pivotal moments in 20th-century naval warfare. Commissioned as a submarine chaser during World War II, the ship played a key role in the battles of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa—two decisive American campaigns against Imperial Japan in 1944 and 1945, respectively. According to the US Naval History and Heritage Command, the vessel supported air defence and rescue operations during the Leyte invasion, evacuating over 400 wounded soldiers to hospital ships and downing a Japanese aircraft. Following additional combat operations near Palau and the Philippines, the Brattleboro joined the Okinawa campaign in spring 1945. There, it provided emergency treatment to more than 200 seriously injured personnel and rescued over 1,000 survivors from sunken vessels during the 91-day battle. Retired from US service in the 1960s, the ship was transferred to South Vietnam in 1966. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, it was handed over to the Philippine Navy and recommissioned in 1977 as the BRP Miguel Malvar, named after a Filipino revolutionary leader. The vessel remained in service until its decommissioning in 2021. Rising regional tension The scheduled sinking of the Brattleboro had been planned in waters facing the disputed Scarborough Shoal—an area closely patrolled by Chinese military and coast guard vessels. The Philippines also claims the shoal, located roughly 137 miles west of Zambales province. This year's Balikatan—meaning 'shoulder-to-shoulder' in Tagalog—involves over 14,000 troops from the US and the Philippines. The drills are intended as a robust test of the two nations' joint defence capabilities amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. Clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels near the shoal have intensified in recent years, fuelling fears of broader military escalation. China continues to assert sweeping claims over the South China Sea, while forcefully opposing any US military involvement in the region.
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Warship Sinks Before Planned US Missile Strike Drills With Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. 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.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
World War II-era target ship prematurely sinks before US and Philippine forces can use in drills
A ship that US and Philippine forces planned to sink beat them to it. A former US World War II-era warship, which survived two of the Pacific War's most important battles, was supposed to go down in a blaze of glory in a live-fire exercise off the western coast of the Philippines as part of annually held joint military drills. Instead, before the bombs and missiles could fly, it slipped slowly beneath the South China Sea Monday morning, age and the ocean catching up to it before modern weaponry could decimate it. The ex-USS Brattleboro was to be the main target for the maritime strike (MARSTRIKE) portion of the annual US-Philippine 'Balikatan' exercise, which began April 21 and runs to May 9. 'The vessel was selected because it exceeded its service life and was no longer suitable for normal operations,' according to a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A US Navy spokesperson told USNI News last month that the 81-year-old ship was to be the target for US Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jets during the exercise. A report from the official Philippine News Agency (PNA) said it was to be hit by US and Philippine forces with a combination of anti-ship missiles, bombs and automatic cannon fire. But as the 184-foot-long vessel was being towed to its station for the exercise, 35 miles west of Zambales province on the northern Philippine island of Luzon, it took on water, the Philippine military statement said. '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,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos said, according to PNA. He said the vessel was not damaged while being towed. The ship sank quietly at 7:20 a.m. local time near the spot where it was to be obliterated later in the day, according to the Philippine military. Other elements of the MARSTRKE exercise would go on, the military statement said. The Philippine and US joint task forces 'will rehearse virtual and constructive fire missions,' the statement said, without detailing what elements were still scheduled as part of the drill. 'The combined force will still achieve its training objectives,' it added. The Philippine military said there was no environmental danger from the sinking as the vessel had been cleaned before being towed out for the exercise. The sinking of the ex-USS Brattleboro was a quiet end for a ship that distinguished itself across decades. In World War II, it participated in the battles of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa, two key US defeats of Imperial Japanese forces in 1944 and 1945 respectively. The ship, designated as a submarine chaser, served in a key rescue and air defense role in the Battle of Leyte during the US invasion of the Philippines, according to the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). Over the course of a month, it helped get more than 400 wounded soldiers from shore to larger hospital ships and shot down a Japanese aircraft, according to the NHHC. After further combat around the island of Palau and later again in the Philippines, Brattleboro got orders to head to Okinawa to support the US invasion there in the spring of 1945. The invasion of Okinawa commenced on April 1, and 'over the next 91 days, the subchaser treated over 200 badly wounded men and rescued in excess of 1,000 survivors of ships that sank,' the NHC history says. After being retired from US service in the mid-1960s, the ship was transferred to the South Vietnamese military in 1966. With the fall of Saigon in 1975, the then-South Vietnamese ship was transferred to the Philippines, where it was recommissioned as the Miguel Malvar – a hero of the Philippine revolution – in the Philippine Navy in 1977. It was decommissioned in 2021. Monday's ship-sinking exercise was planned in an offshore area facing the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal, which has been closely guarded by the Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships, according to the Associated Press. The Philippines also claims the fishing atoll, which lies about 137 miles west of Zambales. This year's Balikatan, called 'shoulder-to-shoulder' in Tagalag, involves more than 14,000 Filipino and US troops in exercises designed to be a 'full battle test' between the two defense treaty allies in response to regional security concerns. China and the Philippines have faced increasing clashes in the waters near Scarborough Shoal in recent years, as China exerts its disputed sovereignty over the entirety of the vast South China Sea. And tensions between Beijing and Manila are their worst in years amid concerns of military conflict. China has vehemently opposed such exercises involving US forces in or near the South China Sea.
CNN
06-05-2025
- General
- CNN
BRP Miguel Malvar: World War II-era target ship prematurely sinks before US and Philippine forces can use in drills
A ship that US and Philippine forces planned to sink beat them to it. A former US World War II-era warship, which survived two of the Pacific War's most important battles, was supposed to go down in a blaze of glory in a live-fire exercise off the western coast of the Philippines as part of annually held joint military drills. Instead, before the bombs and missiles could fly, it slipped slowly beneath the South China Sea Monday morning, age and the ocean catching up to it before modern weaponry could decimate it. The ex-USS Brattleboro was to be the main target for the maritime strike (MARSTRIKE) portion of the annual US-Philippine 'Balikatan' exercise, which began April 21 and runs to May 9. 'The vessel was selected because it exceeded its service life and was no longer suitable for normal operations,' according to a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A US Navy spokesperson told USNI News last month that the 81-year-old ship was to be the target for US Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jets during the exercise. A report from the official Philippine News Agency (PNA) said it was to be hit by US and Philippine forces with a combination of anti-ship missiles, bombs and automatic cannon fire. But as the 184-foot-long vessel was being towed to its station for the exercise, 35 miles west of Zambales province on the northern Philippine island of Luzon, it took on water, the Philippine military statement said. '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,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos said, according to PNA. He said the vessel was not damaged while being towed. The ship sank quietly at 7:20 a.m. local time near the spot where it was to be obliterated later in the day, according to the Philippine military. Other elements of the MARSTRKE exercise would go on, the military statement said. The Philippine and US joint task forces 'will rehearse virtual and constructive fire missions,' the statement said, without detailing what elements were still scheduled as part of the drill. 'The combined force will still achieve its training objectives,' it added. The Philippine military said there was no environmental danger from the sinking as the vessel had been cleaned before being towed out for the exercise. The sinking of the ex-USS Brattleboro was a quiet end for a ship that distinguished itself across decades. In World War II, it participated in the battles of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa, two key US defeats of Imperial Japanese forces in 1944 and 1945 respectively. The ship, designated as a submarine chaser, served in a key rescue and air defense role in the Battle of Leyte during the US invasion of the Philippines, according to the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). Over the course of a month, it helped get more than 400 wounded soldiers from shore to larger hospital ships and shot down a Japanese aircraft, according to the NHHC. After further combat around the island of Palau and later again in the Philippines, Brattleboro got orders to head to Okinawa to support the US invasion there in the spring of 1945. The invasion of Okinawa commenced on April 1, and 'over the next 91 days, the subchaser treated over 200 badly wounded men and rescued in excess of 1,000 survivors of ships that sank,' the NHC history says. After being retired from US service in the mid-1960s, the ship was transferred to the South Vietnamese military in 1966. With the fall of Saigon in 1975, the then-South Vietnamese ship was transferred to the Philippines, where it was recommissioned as the Miguel Malvar – a hero of the Philippine revolution – in the Philippine Navy in 1977. It was decommissioned in 2021. Monday's ship-sinking exercise was planned in an offshore area facing the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal, which has been closely guarded by the Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships, according to the Associated Press. The Philippines also claims the fishing atoll, which lies about 137 miles west of Zambales. This year's Balikatan, called 'shoulder-to-shoulder' in Tagalag, involves more than 14,000 Filipino and US troops in exercises designed to be a 'full battle test' between the two defense treaty allies in response to regional security concerns. China and the Philippines have faced increasing clashes in the waters near Scarborough Shoal in recent years, as China exerts its disputed sovereignty over the entirety of the vast South China Sea. And tensions between Beijing and Manila are their worst in years amid concerns of military conflict. China has vehemently opposed such exercises involving US forces in or near the South China Sea.
CNN
06-05-2025
- General
- CNN
World War II-era target ship prematurely sinks before US and Philippine forces can use in drills
A ship that US and Philippine forces planned to sink beat them to it. A former US World War II-era warship, which survived two of the Pacific War's most important battles, was supposed to go down in a blaze of glory in a live-fire exercise off the western coast of the Philippines as part of annually held joint military drills. Instead, before the bombs and missiles could fly, it slipped slowly beneath the South China Sea Monday morning, age and the ocean catching up to it before modern weaponry could decimate it. The ex-USS Brattleboro was to be the main target for the maritime strike (MARSTRIKE) portion of the annual US-Philippine 'Balikatan' exercise, which began April 21 and runs to May 9. 'The vessel was selected because it exceeded its service life and was no longer suitable for normal operations,' according to a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A US Navy spokesperson told USNI News last month that the 81-year-old ship was to be the target for US Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jets during the exercise. A report from the official Philippine News Agency (PNA) said it was to be hit by US and Philippine forces with a combination of anti-ship missiles, bombs and automatic cannon fire. But as the 184-foot-long vessel was being towed to its station for the exercise, 35 miles west of Zambales province on the northern Philippine island of Luzon, it took on water, the Philippine military statement said. '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,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos said, according to PNA. He said the vessel was not damaged while being towed. The ship sank quietly at 7:20 a.m. local time near the spot where it was to be obliterated later in the day, according to the Philippine military. Other elements of the MARSTRKE exercise would go on, the military statement said. The Philippine and US joint task forces 'will rehearse virtual and constructive fire missions,' the statement said, without detailing what elements were still scheduled as part of the drill. 'The combined force will still achieve its training objectives,' it added. The Philippine military said there was no environmental danger from the sinking as the vessel had been cleaned before being towed out for the exercise. The sinking of the ex-USS Brattleboro was a quiet end for a ship that distinguished itself across decades. In World War II, it participated in the battles of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa, two key US defeats of Imperial Japanese forces in 1944 and 1945 respectively. The ship, designated as a submarine chaser, served in a key rescue and air defense role in the Battle of Leyte during the US invasion of the Philippines, according to the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). Over the course of a month, it helped get more than 400 wounded soldiers from shore to larger hospital ships and shot down a Japanese aircraft, according to the NHHC. After further combat around the island of Palau and later again in the Philippines, Brattleboro got orders to head to Okinawa to support the US invasion there in the spring of 1945. The invasion of Okinawa commenced on April 1, and 'over the next 91 days, the subchaser treated over 200 badly wounded men and rescued in excess of 1,000 survivors of ships that sank,' the NHC history says. After being retired from US service in the mid-1960s, the ship was transferred to the South Vietnamese military in 1966. With the fall of Saigon in 1975, the then-South Vietnamese ship was transferred to the Philippines, where it was recommissioned as the Miguel Malvar – a hero of the Philippine revolution – in the Philippine Navy in 1977. It was decommissioned in 2021. Monday's ship-sinking exercise was planned in an offshore area facing the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal, which has been closely guarded by the Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships, according to the Associated Press. The Philippines also claims the fishing atoll, which lies about 137 miles west of Zambales. This year's Balikatan, called 'shoulder-to-shoulder' in Tagalag, involves more than 14,000 Filipino and US troops in exercises designed to be a 'full battle test' between the two defense treaty allies in response to regional security concerns. China and the Philippines have faced increasing clashes in the waters near Scarborough Shoal in recent years, as China exerts its disputed sovereignty over the entirety of the vast South China Sea. And tensions between Beijing and Manila are their worst in years amid concerns of military conflict. China has vehemently opposed such exercises involving US forces in or near the South China Sea.
