US and Allies Sink China-Made Naval Vessel in War Drill

The U.S., the Philippines, and Australia have sunk a made-in-China warship in a simulated attack on an enemy vessel as China doubles down on its sweeping territorial claims in the region.Land, air, and sea assets pummeled the 325-foot BRP Lake Caliraya, a replenishment oiler the Philippine Navy previously acquired from China, off the west coast of the Taiwan-facing province of Ilocos Norte on Wednesday morning.The drill, dubbed SINKEX, was part of the weeks-long Balikatan exercise held annually between the U.S. and the Philippines. This year’s edition, the largest yet, saw some 17,000…