Breaking News: Indian and Philippine navies to conduct first joint naval exercise in Indo-Pacific region.

According to information published by the Indian Government on August 1, 2025, Indian Naval Ships INS Delhi (guided-missile destroyer), INS Shakti (fleet tanker), and INS Kiltan (anti-submarine warfare corvette) of the Eastern Fleet, under the command of Rear Admiral Susheel Menon, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, arrived in Manila as part of an ongoing operational deployment to Southeast Asia. The Indian ships were welcomed by the Philippine Navy with full ceremonial honors, highlighting the intensifying strategic maritime partnership between India and the Philippines in the Indo-Pacific. Rear Admiral Menon addressed local media upon arrival, emphasizing the shared commitment to maritime security, regional stability, and enhanced operational collaboration.
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Indian Navy’s INS Kiltan anti-submarine warfare corvette arrives in the Philippines as part of the first bilateral maritime exercise with the Philippine Navy, highlighting growing defense ties and enhanced naval cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. (Picture source: Indian MoD)

India and the Philippines have steadily deepened their naval cooperation over the past decade, building on a shared vision for a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Bilateral defense engagements have grown in complexity and frequency, including high-level defense dialogues, naval ship visits, and agreements for training, capacity-building, and technology cooperation. The conduct of the first Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) marks a significant leap forward, transitioning from port visits to structured, at-sea operational exercises that test real-time interoperability between the two navies. Both nations have aligned strongly on upholding the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling on the South China Sea, and India’s support for the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone underscores a deepening strategic convergence.

The port visit features a comprehensive agenda of professional and operational exchanges aimed at enhancing bilateral naval engagement. These include high-level planning meetings, subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs), cross-deck visits, and cultural interactions designed to foster mutual understanding and trust. With maritime tensions increasing across the Indo-Pacific, especially in the West Philippine Sea, such interactions are increasingly critical for joint preparedness and the capacity to respond cooperatively to common challenges, including illegal fishing, maritime coercion, piracy, and humanitarian crises.

Central to this deployment is the execution of the first-ever bilateral MCA between the Indian and Philippine navies, scheduled from August 3 to 4 in waters near Scarborough Shoal. The MCA will feature tactical surface manoeuvres, seamanship drills, coordinated communication protocols, and maritime domain awareness activities. These drills will enhance both navies’ ability to operate jointly in contested maritime environments, reaffirming their readiness to support peace and stability across strategic sea lines of communication.

A Maritime Cooperative Activity, or MCA, is a non-combat bilateral naval engagement framework designed to promote operational coordination, build trust, and enhance interoperability between friendly maritime forces. Unlike large-scale joint exercises, an MCA focuses on practical, mission-oriented skills such as navigation, formation sailing, communication interoperability, and coordinated responses to non-traditional threats such as maritime terrorism, smuggling, or humanitarian emergencies. It typically includes a combination of at-sea drills and in-port planning sessions, and is tailored to the regional security context. For the Indian and Philippine navies, this first MCA represents a calibrated, yet strategically significant step toward structured operational partnership in a region marked by intensifying maritime competition.

The Indian Navy’s visit is aligned with India’s broader strategic posture under the Act East policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine. It represents a deliberate step in expanding India's naval presence in the Western Pacific and signals a clear intention to reinforce maritime partnerships with like-minded regional players. For the Philippines, this cooperation diversifies its defense ties and bolsters its operational resilience amid growing regional assertiveness. Philippine Navy spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos highlighted the MCA as a critical initiative to improve interoperability and enhance regional security coordination.

Taking place just ahead of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s state visit to India, the MCA adds diplomatic weight to the ongoing defense engagement. It sends a strong signal of bilateral resolve to uphold international maritime law and safeguard shared interests in one of the world’s most contested maritime zones. Rear Admiral Menon, in exclusive remarks, called the activity a milestone in institutionalizing naval cooperation and affirmed India’s enduring commitment to collaborative security frameworks in the Indo-Pacific.