The Armed Forces announced on Monday that it recently monitored a Chinese aircraft carrier group passing through the territorial waters of Mindanao.
The AFP’s Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said it monitored the Liaoning Carrier Group on October 22, through its Maritime Situational Awareness Center.
Westmincom said the carrier group was first monitored northwest of Talulu Point in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, and was later tracked southwest of Maitum, Sarangani, heading southwestward toward the Celebes Sea.
Two Navy warships – BRP Diego Silang and BRP Emilio Jacinto – shadowed the carrier group, Westmincom said, adding that the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Sarangani joined the monitoring.
“The Philippine Air Force supported the joint monitoring effort through aerial surveillance and reconnaissance operations involving a Black Hawk and an NC-212i aircraft,” Westmincom said in a statement.
“Throughout the transit, concerned units maintained coordination and reported significant developments to support maritime domain awareness and maritime security,” Westmincom also said.
It noted that the transit of the carrier group was “observed to be continuous and expeditious.”
The Chinese defense ministry announced last week the deployment of the carrier group for joint training in the Western Pacific.
It said it was conducting the maritime exercises in accordance with a training plan aimed at testing and improving the group’s “realistic training level and continuously enhance the capabilities to execute missions.”