The Philippines and the United States on Tuesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises in the Southeast Asian country as longtime allies seek to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
Around 18,000 troops will take part in the drills, which will see the first-ever launch of live ammunition into the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
One of the exercises envisages landing military helicopters on a Philippine island off the north end of the main island of Luzon, about 300 km from Taiwan.
The launch of the annual Balikatan exercise, which means “side by side” in Tagalog, comes after a three-day military operation completed by Beijing on Monday that simulated targeted attacks and an encirclement of the autonomous and democratic island of Taiwan that China is considering part of its territory.
For the first time, these annual drills are taking place under the mandate of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is trying to mend ties with Washington that were damaged by his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
“Through this exercise, the Philippine and American forces will improve our interoperability, expand our capabilities, and complement our capabilities through cooperation, which will prepare us to face the world’s challenges together,” underscored the general of the US Marine 1st Air Unit Eric Austin at the opening ceremony in Manila on Tuesday.
The Philippine defense and foreign ministers will then meet with their American counterparts in Washington.
Some 12,200 American soldiers, 5,400 Filipino soldiers and just over 100 Australian soldiers were mobilized to take part in the drills, double the number from the previous year. They last two weeks.
In particular, the Americans will use their Patriot missiles, which are considered one of the best air defense systems in the world, as part of these exercises.
The drills will improve “tactics, techniques and procedures” related to a variety of military operations, said Col. Medel Aguilar, spokesman for the Philippine military.
In early April, the Philippines made four new military bases available to the United States, including a naval base near Taiwan, angering Beijing.