Over 14,000 troops from the United States and the Philippines began joint military exercises on Monday, aimed at simulating a ‘full battle test’ between the two long-standing treaty allies. The annual ‘Balikatan’ drills, running through May 9, are being held against the backdrop of growing regional security threats, particularly in the South China Sea.
The 2024 exercises include a wide showcase of military might, such as the deployment of U.S. NMESIS anti-ship missile systems and HIMARS rocket launchers. Filipino troops will also test their own new missile systems during live-fire exercises conducted with American allies.
United States Army Lieutenant General James Glynn, who has responsibility for planning the drills on behalf of America, called the exercises a full test of militaries of the two nations. “The full battle tests is designed to encompass all of the regional security threats that we currently face in the South China Sea,” Glynn explained to reporters in a briefing.
Drills that are being simulated involve intercepting missile threats, defense of territorial waters, and live maritime strike on an ex-Philippine Navy ship.
International Participation in Balikatan 2024
As many as 9,000 U.S. troops and 5,000 Filipino troops are participating this year. Smaller units from Australia, Japan, Canada, Britain, and France are also joining, 16 other countries being there as observers.
While tensions continue to escalate between China’s military and territorial presence in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, Philippine officials explained that the drills were not specifically aimed at stirring up any one country.
The Balikatan exercise may likely deter the war in Taiwan. But for our interest, it is only to deter any potential coercion or invasion to our nation,” said Philippine exercise director Major General Francisco Lorenzo.
Escalating Maritime Disputes
China’s large claims in the South China Sea are still a principal source of tensions. The standoff between Beijing and Manila has sharpened over the last two years, mainly due to successive collisions between their coast guard ships in disputed waters. In spite of these tensions, the Philippines reiterated that the Balikatan exercises are purely defensive in character and aim to build national resilience.
