Helicopters buzzed in the shadow of a smoldering volcano and boats rescued dummies from the sea last week in a show of maritime unity by Japan, the United States and the Philippines.

The Japanese, United States and Philippine coast guards on Friday held a joint exercise in Japan for the first time. The drill, which took place in Kagoshima Bay in southwestern Japan, simulated a scenario in which a US cargo ship and a Philippine fishing boat collided

Japan’s coast guard has held a joint exercise with counterparts from the United States and the Philippines, as the three Pacific nations beef up defense cooperation in the face of China’s expanding maritime activities.