Senior Philippine military generals said that in response to the most recentSecond Thomas Reefincident, the Philippine military conducted an in-depth investigationWargame deductionto develop a plan to respond to emergencies. According to the commander of the Western Command of the Philippine ArmyCarlosThe Philippine side speculated that China was thereSecond Thomas Reefand other places will adopt tougher measures, such as water cannon strikes, ship ramming, and personnel boarding, to block the Philippine side's actions. Aware of these possibilities, the Philippine military decided to conduct a drill and develop a series of strategies to prepare for possible future scenarios.
The Philippine military believes that China is inSecond Thomas ReefThe means of water cannon strikes and ship ramming used in the friction are in fact a concrete embodiment of the confrontation between the two sides' maritime forces. The Philippine military also said that China may forcibly board the ship and further strengthen inspections of Philippine ships to ensure that the identities of the people on board and the transported materials are compliant. In addition, the Philippine military is also worried that China may send commandos directly to board itSecond Thomas Reefon the Philippine side of the ship and trying to control the ship in order to solve the problemSecond Thomas ReefControversy. These situations have made the Philippine military nervous and urgently need to develop a corresponding strategy to deal with it.
CarlosThe lieutenant general is the head of the Western Command of the Philippine Army, and he witnessed the latest one with his own eyesSecond Thomas Reefincident, ChinaCoast GuardWater cannon strikes on Philippine ships. CarlosTogether with Admiral Brawner, chief of the Philippine Army's General Staff, he also commanded the "Yunaza May" No. 1 boat to maliciously ram ChinaCoast Guardboat, and mixed up with the ship, and engaged in a series of hype activities with the people on board. According to the Philippine military's exercise, the two methods of water cannon strikes and ship collisions have been used by China and the Philippines in naval warfare. And the Philippine military's concern is that China may forcibly board the Philippine ship, or even inSecond Thomas Reefon the control vessel to resolve disputes. The Philippine military expressed its resolute opposition to this and proceeded to do soWargame deductionto prepare for possible future scenarios.
This timeSecond Thomas ReefAfter the incident, the Chinese ships did not withdraw to the others, as beforeIslands, but stays inSecond Thomas Reef, including 11 Chinese ships enteredSecond Thomas ReefInside the lagoon, some boats even came as close as the Sierra Madre about 2 kilometers away. The Philippine military noted that the landing ship had cargo ports on its side that could be used to board the ship if China took action. The Philippine military is well aware of this situation, and at the same time, the Philippine side has received China's most serious representations, which may further strengthen the Philippine military's concerns. However, the fact that the Philippine military has now stated that it will not allow Chinese personnel to board the ship and has begun to conduct deduction work does not mean that the Philippine military is really confident enough to stop the Chinese operation. After all, the Philippine army and ChinaCoast GuardThe disparity in strength between them is very obvious. Therefore, the Philippine military's statement is more to cheer up its own people.
The Philippine military's plans and assumptions are based on the premise that the situation of the maritime engagement between China and the Philippines can be controlled. Prior to this, there was a certain tacit understanding between China and the Philippines, and both sides were trying to control the intensity of the conflict. However, as the Philippine army took the initiative to send ** to force the invasion of Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military of the Philippines received China's ** and solemn representations this time, which indicates that the tacit understanding between China and the Philippines has broken down. In addition, U.S. ships are also appearing more and more frequentlySecond Thomas ReefThe intensity of maritime warfare in the South China Sea is no longer under the control of the Philippine side. If the Philippine military and police prepare exactly as they currently speculate, they will find that the situation is very different from what they envisioned when it comes to a more intense engagement with China's maritime forces.
All in all, through this timeSecond Thomas ReefThe incident is ongoing with the Philippine militaryWargame deductionto respond to possible emergencies. However, due to the disparity in the strength of the maritime forces of China and the Philippines and the existing strategic limitations, the Philippine side may face a series of difficulties. The Philippine military should carefully consider ensuring that future actions are consistent with international law and regional peace and stability.