U.S. and Philippine fighter aircraft staged a joint patrol and training Tuesday over a disputed South China Sea shoal where Chinese fighter jets fired flares last year to drive away a Philippine aircraft,

The Philippines and United States air forces conducted joint patrols over the South China Sea, specifically in the West Philippine Sea. This one-day exercise involved the participation of Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and U.

The training involved three Philippine FA-50 fighters and drills to enhance air domain awareness and joint combat capabilities.

Earlier, Chinese naval vessels attracted Manila’s ire as they crossed Basilan Strait on the way to distant-sea training exercise.