A decommissioned World War II-era warship that was set to be used as a target in a U.S.-Philippine live-fire drill sank prematurely on Monday, forcing the cancellation of a key exercise amid ongoing military cooperation between the two nations.

The BRP Miguel Malvar, an 80-year-old vessel, was being towed through rough waters off the western coast of the Philippines when it took on water and sank, military officials confirmed.

The accident occurred just hours before the ship was to be struck during a coordinated ship-sinking drill between U.S. and Philippine forces.

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The drill was scheduled as a highlight of Balikatan — the annual large-scale military exercise between the two longtime allies. No personnel were aboard the ship at the time of its sinking, and no injuries were reported.

“It’s an 80-year-old dilapidated ship and it wasn’t able to withstand the rough seas,” said Philippine Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado in a statement to the Associated Press.

According to the Philippine military, the vessel went down about 30 nautical miles off Zambales, near the contentious Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Originally built for the U.S. Navy in the 1940s, the Miguel Malvar was later transferred to the Vietnamese Navy before ultimately being acquired by the Philippines.

Decommissioned in 2021, the ship was repurposed to serve as a mock target in the joint exercises meant to simulate real-world conflict scenarios in contested waters.

Despite the loss of the ship, U.S. and Philippine forces pressed forward with other scheduled live-fire drills and combat simulations off the coast of Zambales.

The location of the canceled exercise, near the Scarborough Shoal, underscores the strategic and symbolic weight of the drills.

The area remains one of the flashpoints in the South China Sea, where Chinese coast guard, naval, and suspected maritime militia ships have maintained a growing presence.

The Philippines claims the Scarborough Shoal — a resource-rich fishing atoll roughly 137 miles from the Philippine coast — but has faced increasing hostility from Chinese forces in the region. These incidents have escalated in recent years, with frequent standoffs both in the waters and in surrounding airspace.

The ship-sinking event would have been the third such drill in recent years and was expected to demonstrate the evolving capabilities of both militaries in countering maritime threats.

This year’s Balikatan — which runs from April 21 to May 9 — involves approximately 14,000 personnel and includes complex combat scenarios that simulate real-world responses to acts of aggression, particularly in the South China Sea.

One such scenario took place on Sunday, when American, Australian, and Philippine troops practiced retaking an island in Balabac, a coastal area in western Palawan province.

Japanese forces and British Royal Marines observed the exercise, which officials said highlights a growing multilateral approach to regional defense.

“What we have seen since Trump returned to the White House is a remarkable level of continuity in the U.S.-Philippines alliance not only in joint military drills, but also on American statements that the alliance is ‘ironclad,’” said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation.

He noted that while the Trump administration has taken a firm stance in supporting the Philippines, “just how sustainable this commitment will be” remains to be seen.

According to Grossman, “The Trump administration is trying to keep the pressure on China through its support to the Philippines,” though some observers have questioned whether the current administration’s China policy carries the same intensity as in previous years.

Indeed, the exercises and American military presence in the region have drawn sharp criticism from Beijing.

China strongly opposes any foreign military activity in or near the South China Sea or around Taiwan — the self-governing island democracy that China considers a breakaway province and has threatened to annex by force.

Nevertheless, U.S. and Philippine defense leaders insist that the Balikatan drills are not directed specifically at China. Instead, they argue, the exercises serve as a deterrent to hostile actions and are focused on strengthening regional stability.

“Shoulder-to-shoulder” — the translation of Balikatan from Tagalog — has become more than just a slogan. It represents a deepening strategic relationship amid growing regional uncertainty.

While the sinking of the Miguel Malvar may have canceled one exercise, it has not diminished the broader message of readiness and alliance unity that this year’s drills are meant to convey.

As tensions continue to simmer in the South China Sea, both Washington and Manila appear resolute in their joint efforts to uphold the rules-based international order and to defend Philippine sovereignty — with or without a target ship.

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