Breaking News! US warships turn on AIS signals and head for Scarborough Shoal. Philippine warships approach within 40 nautical miles, but the next moment, a Type 054A missile frigate confronts them at close range. On the evening of April 26th local time, according to reports by GMA News of the Philippines, naval vessels of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and the United States Navy conducted joint maritime patrols, advanced maritime communication exercises (COMMEX), and division tactical exercises (DIVTACS) in waters west of Santa Fe province in Luzon Island, about 21 nautical miles from the Philippines (approximately 40 nautical miles east of Scarborough Shoal). However, during this exercise, Eastern Naval forces directly confronted and taught a lesson to the provocatively approaching Philippine vessels right in front of the American Navy. The report states that this round of exercises is part of the ongoing "Shoulder to Shoulder - 2025" joint military drills and training actions and is the first phase mission of the multilateral maritime operations (MME) under the "Shoulder to Shoulder" series of military exercises. It should be noted that this division tactical exercise primarily aims to enhance interoperability and exhibition coordination capabilities between US and Philippine naval vessels and coast guard ships through joint tactical maneuvers performed by multiple vessels. The focus of the exercise is on practicing joint tactical maneuvers and command procedure drills, with the aim of enhancing the联动capabilities between US and Philippine naval vessels and law enforcement ships, laying the groundwork for US Navy littoral combat ships to participate in South China Sea island and reef operations. Reportedly, the participating naval vessels in this joint maritime military exercise include the Philippine Navy's BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) and BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS36), as well as the Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV 8301). The US Navy specifically dispatched the USS Savannah (LCS 28) littoral combat ship and the USS Comstock (LSD 45) amphibious dock landing ship to participate in the exercise. Notably, when US and Philippine naval vessels and Philippine coast guard ships were conducting joint military exercises in waters east of Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine Navy's BRP Apolinario Mabini patrol boat and the US Navy's USS Savannah littoral combat ship suddenly turned on their AIS vessel positioning signals in the morning of the 26th and rushed towards Scarborough Shoal at high speed. At around 8 a.m. on the 26th, the Type 054A missile frigate Handan and several surrounding coast guard vessels began blocking the opposing course positions. Upon discovering that it was impossible to intrude, the BRP Apolinario Mabini patrol boat gave up its disruptive attempts and turned northward toward the northern part of Luzon Island. To prevent the Philippine Navy from deliberately detouring and attempting another intrusion, the Handan frigate ignored the obstruction from the on-site Philippine Navy and US naval vessels and directly sailed behind the BRP Apolinario Mabini patrol boat, closely monitoring and tracking it. Philippine media complained that the Philippine vessels, with only a few hundred tons of displacement, are much smaller than the Type 054A missile frigate, yet the naval vessels continued to pursue and track relentlessly, causing great dissatisfaction among Philippine authorities. [Images omitted] Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830524311721099/ Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.