Philippines building sea-based military force to counter Chinese claims in South China Sea

Philippines has started building a greater sea-based military force, to be kwn as 'Cafgu Active Auxiliary Service' (CAAS), to protect its waters and counter Chinese claims in South China Sea. According to reports, CAAS will protect Philippines' interests in disputed sea including  vast exclusive ecomic zone (EEZ).

Vice-miral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, Philippines' naval chief, informed that new force will be recruited from among Philippine Army and y will be trained by Philippine Navy -- specifically  navy's rrn Luzon and Naval Forces West units.

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'Gray zone' arms race

'gray zone' arms race in South China Sea region started with China's use of its paramilitary forces to bar supplies and construction material shipments from arriving at Thitu Island, where Philippines maintains a token military occupancy and rudimentary airstrip it is seeking to upgre.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana maintained that China is using what y call "civilian militias" who are in fact a part of  Chinese navy. y're also acting as fishermen and fishing with big boats, Lorenzana said in a recent dress to Philippine Senate.

Philippines is bidding to firm up its defences after years of Chinese intimidation tactics in disputed sea, including China's occupation of Scarborough Shoal in Manila's EEZ in 2012. shoal is important for China to establish an Air Defense Identification Zone (IZ) over sea.

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stressed strategic need for more China-countering forces at a speech last month at United Nations' General Assembly. Duterte firmly rejected attempts to undermine  Philippines' maritime claims - a thinly veiled complaint against China's rising use of sea militias in South China Sea. 

Moreover, Philippines would t be first to oppose China's use of maritime paramilitary forces in sea. Earlier, Vietnam which is hotly defending its territorial claims on Paracel and Spratly island chains, created its own maritime force in 2009 to push out Chinese sea militias in region. Furr, a suspected Chinese militia vessel h sunk last year and almost killed 22 Filipi fishermen roaming fisheries and energy-rich contested Reed Bank area.

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(With ANI inputs)