Philippines' WWII-Era Ship Accidentally Sinks During Drill, Cancelling Exercise
Joint U.S. and Philippine military exercises are abruptly halted due to an unexpected sinking of an old target during a ship-sinking drill from the World War II era.
In the Philippines, a World War II-era navy ship, the BRP Miguel Malvar, met an untimely end during a joint combat exercise involving American and Filipino forces. The ship, decommissioned by the Philippine navy in 2021, unfortunately sunk on Monday while being towed in rough seas near the disputed South China Sea, causing the drill to be called off.
The BRP Miguel Malvar, previously known as the USS Brattleboro in the U.S. Navy, was transferred to South Vietnam before being acquired by the Philippine military. Investigations suggest that the aged vessel, which had spanned multiple navies and decades of service, simply couldn't withstand the rough seas. Philippine Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado explained, "It's an 80-year-old dilapidated ship and it wasn't able to withstand the rough seas."
The ship-sinking exercise was originally planned in an offshore area facing the Scarborough Shoal—a hotly disputed area closely guarded by Chinese forces. The Philippines also lays claim to the fishing atlas, leading to increasingly hostile confrontations in recent years.
Eager to defend their sovereignty in the face of China's growing aggression, the treaty allies had planned the sinking drill as one of the highlights of their annual military exercises, taking place from April 21 to May 9. This annual event, known as Balikatan, has increasingly focused on the defense of Philippine sovereignty, reflecting assurances by the U.S. that it would uphold its treaty commitments in the event of an armed attack on the Philippines, including in the South China Sea.
American and Philippine forces proceeded with other live-fire maneuvers despite the premature sinking of the Malvar. Although Japan and British forces joined the drills as observers, the cancellation of the ship-sinking exercise had a notable impact on the overall event.
The BRP Miguel Malvar is a significant vessel in Philippine naval history, marked by a storied past that includes service in multiple navies. Constructed during WWII as the USS Brattleboro, it served the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years, later transferred to South Vietnam, and finally acquired by the Philippines in 1977. After decades of duty, the ship was decommissioned, symbolizing a shift towards a newer, multicapable Philippine navy.
- Despite the decommissioning of the BRP Miguel Malvar by the Philippine navy in 2021, its age and extensive history across different navies and conflicts made it susceptible to sinking, as seen during a joint exercise with American forces.
- The Philppine Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado, in explaining the sinking of the BRP Miguel Malvar, stated that the ship, being an 80-year-old dilapidated vessel, could not withstand the rough seas.
- The cancellation of the ship-sinking exercise in the South China Sea, due to the sinking of the BRP Miguel Malvar, had a noticeable impact on the overall Balikatan military exercises, a multilateral event involving American, Japanese, and British forces, with a focus on the defense of Philippine sovereignty.
- The naval career of the BRP Miguel Malvar, originally the USS Brattleboro, spans multiple navies, decades of service, and various war-and-conflicts, making it an essential part of both American and Philippine general news and military history.
