US warship cruises disputed S. China Sea in Philippines maneuvers

A US warship laden with hi-tech fighter planes took center stage at key war games in the Philippines on Thursday amid fresh tensions in the contentious South China Sea. The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, with at least 10 F-35B stealth jets on deck, stood guard as amphibious tanks rolled onto a Philippine beach located a short sail from islands also claimed by Beijing, AFP reported. The vessel was in the area for long-running US-Philippine military maneuvers. They come as Manila is pushing back against the recent presence of hundreds of Chinese ships near its Pag-asa (Thitu) island. The Wasp’s participation in the exercises represents “an increase in military capability committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the US Navy said on its arrival last week. The two-week Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises, which opened on April 1, include some 4,000 Philippine, 3,500 American, and 50 Australian troops.