Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The Philippines and the USA will hold their largest-ever joint military exercises that begin next month, US and Philippine officials said on Tuesday, as the longtime allies seek to counter the growing regional influence of China.
A total of 17,680 soldiers will participate in the annual drills, which for the first time would include live-fire exercises in the disputed South China Sea and a simulated defense of a small Philippine island nearly 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of Taiwan.
Both countries will also stage an amphibious landing on the western island of Palawan, the closest Philippine landmass to the Spratly Islands and a flashpoint for Manila and Beijing.
“Any military force has the right to have military exercises,” said Colonel Michael Logico, Philippine’s spokesman for the war games called Balikatan, which means “shoulder to shoulder” in Filipino.
“It is really part of our combat readiness,” he further said.
The announcement comes less than six weeks after Washington and Manila agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea, and inked a deal to give US troops access to another four military bases in the Philippines.
The countries have been seeking to repair relations that were suffered under President Ferdinand Marcos’s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
China’s growing assertiveness on Taiwan and its building of bases in the South China Sea has given an opportunity to Manila and Washington to strengthen their partnership, which is supported by a mutual defense treaty.
US, Philippines Joint War Games
The exercises, scheduled for April 11 to 28, will involve over 12,000 American, nearly 5,000 Filipino, and also 111 Australian soldiers, almost twice in number from the last year, Logico said.
One of the drills included landing military helicopters on Calayan island, off the northern tip of the major island of Luzon.
Previously the maritime and coastal defense drill has been held, however, this will be the first time on Calayan.
It would also be the first time Philippine and US navy frigates would fire their weapons toward the South China Sea from waters off Zambales province, north of Manila, Logico added.
The US will also use its Patriot missiles, considered one of the best air defense systems in the globe, and the HIMARS precision rocket system during the excercises.
This is the first the drill to be held since Marcos took power in June last year.
Marcos has insisted he would not let China trample on the Philippines’ maritime rights, unlike Duterte who was reluctant to criticize China.
China claims sovereignty over nearly the complete South China Sea, comprising the Spratlys, ignoring an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.
The Philippines and several other nations have rival claims.
The US and Australian embassies in Manila did not immediately comment on the exercises.
