US to build Philippine boat repair facilities near contested South China Sea

Manila: The US Navy plans to build two repair facilities for smaller vessels operating in the western Philippines, the US embassy said Wednesday, with...

Manila: The US Navy plans to build two repair facilities for smaller vessels operating in the western Philippines, the US embassy said Wednesday, with one about 240 kilometres (150 miles) east of a fiercely contested reef in the South China Sea.

Located in the Spratly archipelago, the Second Thomas Shoal hosts a small detachment of Philippine forces aboard a grounded navy vessel and has been the site of clashes with Chinese ships.

Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit.

The US government's contracting website, Sam.gov, locates one of the proposed repair facilities in Palawan province's Quezon municipality.

The facilities "will provide repair and maintenance capabilities for a variety of (Philippine) vessels including 7.32-meter (24-foot) watercraft as well as other smaller conventional watercraft," the bid notice for the Quezon project reads.