American and Philippine warplanes flew together in a coordinated patrol and drill above the South China Sea, in the allies’ first joint maneuvers over contested waters since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office, Filipino officials said.

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,

US and Philippine fighter jets conducted joint patrols over Scarborough Shoal, a disputed South China Sea atoll, amid rising tensions and China’s territorial claims

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has offered to remove a U.S. missile system from the Philippines if China halts what he called its “aggressive and coercive behavior” in the disputed South China Sea.

Air patrol exercise underscores Manila’s efforts to assert its maritime claims while testing US commitment to regional security, analysts say.