More than 17,000 troops will take part in the largest-ever joint exercise by the Philippines, the US and other countries to practice combat skills amid tensions with China and conflicts in the Middle East.
Soldiers from Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand will also take part in this year’s Balikatan — “shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog — an exercise that runs from April 20 to May 8, the US Marine Corps said Monday.
Another 17 countries will observe the land, sea, air and cyber exercises, surpassing the previous record of 16,000 in 2024. The number of U.S. troops was not disclosed, but last year 9,000 from the U.S. participated, with 5,000 from the Philippines.
“Training side-by-side with our oldest ally and many of our partners ensures that our forces are ready to face any challenge together,” said Philippine Army Maj. Gen. Francisco Lorenzo Jr. in a statement by the US Marine Corps.
The exercise “will practice warfighting skills in maritime security, coastal defense and the integration of combined and joint fires,” the statement said. The record military involvement comes as conflicts from Ukraine to Iran, along with China’s military buildup, prompt policymakers to improve their defense preparedness.
As the US-Israel war against Iran continues, President Donald Trump on Monday launched a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to force Tehran to reach a deal.
The war games also underscore the Philippines’ shift to outward defense amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway to which Beijing has extensive claims, including areas Manila says are part of its exclusive economic zone.
The Philippines said over the weekend that Chinese forces fired flares at a coast guard plane conducting routine surveillance over the Mischief and Subi Reefs, both of which are in disputed waters where Beijing has built artificial islands with military infrastructure.
On Monday, Manila said Chinese boats were dumping cyanide into the Second Thomas Shoal, which officials said could threaten the structural integrity of its military base there. Beijing called Manila’s allegations “neither credible nor worthy of refutation”.
Ships from four countries will take part in a multi-day multilateral naval exercise along the west coast of the Philippines, which faces the South China Sea, according to the US Marine Corps. According to the US Marine Corps, they will conduct shipboard landing qualifications, live-fire gunnery, anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue training.
Japanese troops will take part in combat exercises at this year’s Balikatan for the first time under the Tokyo-Manila Mutual Access Agreement, which facilitates mutual military visits. Japan participated in previous exercises as an observer.
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
