Manila, April 30 -- Filipino naval vessels and aircraft, along with other "Balikatan" participants, took part in high-impact military drills in the so-called "multinational maritime event" (MME), which started last April 20 and is expected to last until May 1 in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a statement Thursday, the "Balikatan" Combined Joint Information Bureau (CJIB) said these critical exercises include gunnery and coordinated anti-submarine operations, air defense through integrated air and missile defense, and replenishment at sea, all aimed at "enhancing interoperability and operational readiness among participating forces."

The CJIB did not give specifics on where exactly in the WPS these exercises took place or when the dril...