{"id":77817,"date":"2025-05-05T17:34:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T17:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/05\/05\/wwii-ship-accidentally-sinks-before-us-philippine-ship-sinking-drill\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:23:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:23:40","slug":"wwii-ship-accidentally-sinks-before-us-philippine-ship-sinking-drill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/05\/05\/wwii-ship-accidentally-sinks-before-us-philippine-ship-sinking-drill\/","title":{"rendered":"WWII ship accidentally sinks before US-Philippine ship-sinking drill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MANILA, Philippines \u2014 A World War II-era Philippine Navy ship to be used as a target in a combat exercise by American and Philippine forces accidentally sank Monday hours before the mock assault, prompting the drill to be cancelled, U.S. and Philippine military officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BRP Miguel Malvar, which was decommissioned by the Philippine Navy in 2021, took on water while being towed in rough waters facing the disputed South China Sea<\/a> and sank about 30 nautical miles off the western Philippine province of Zambales. Nobody was onboard when the ship listed then sank, the Philippine military said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American and Philippine forces would proceed with other live-fire maneuvers off Zambales on Monday despite the premature sinking of the Malvar. The ship was built as a patrol vessel for the U.S. Navy in the 1940s and was transferred to Vietnam\u2019s navy before the Philippine military acquired it, Philippine navy Capt. John Percie Alcos said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an 80-year-old dilapidated ship and it wasn\u2019t able to withstand the rough seas,\u201d Philippine Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\t