India and the Philippines are staging joint naval sail and exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, a high-profile military deployment that will likely antagonize China.

The Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said on Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos left Manila for New Delhi for a state visit.

India and the Philippines have conducted their first-ever joint sail and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea, a strategic and contested region where China’s aggressive maritime claims have sparked widespread tensions.