The U.S. and the Philippine militaries on Tuesday began Balikatan 2023, described by officials as the largest joint exercise in decades involving the longtime treaty allies, just days after China completed a series of menacing maneuvers of its own around nearby Taiwan.
Balikatan — Tagalog for “shoulder to shoulder” — will run until April 28 and involve almost 18,000 military personnel from both countries. This year marks the 38th running of the exercise and will incorporate training missions throughout the Philippines.
“The Balikatan exercise enhances both the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the United States Armed Forces’ tactics, techniques and procedures across a wide range of military operations,” Col. Medel Aguilar, an AFP spokesman, said in a statement. “It increases our ability to work together effectively and efficiently in response to various crisis situations.”
The exercises are also a sign of warming ties between Washington and Manila under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose predecessor Rodrigo Duterte had leaned toward China in the clash of superpowers for influence in East Asia. China has reacted angrily to the drills and to the recent agreement by Mr. Marcos to open more Philippine sites for U.S. military staging — including sites very near Taiwan.
U.S. and Philippine troops will work side by side during drills covering maritime security, amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance and counterterrorism. Balikatan 2023 will involve twice as many troops as last year, officials said.
“Engagements such as Balikatan are important investments in our ability to work together across the spectrum of military operations, respond to crises, support the people of the Philippines and accomplish our shared missions,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Huvane, director of the Balikatan Combined Joint Information Office.
The Philippines is a key ally and the largest recipient of U.S. military assistance, equipment and training in the Indo-Pacific region.
Balikatan 2023 kicked off soon after Beijing completed three days of combat sea and air maneuvers that included a simulated mission to blockade Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. Those drills came days after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week on a stop in California.
“This is a firm response to the current escalation of provocations by the U.S. in collusion with the Taiwan authorities,” Chinese military officials said in a statement. “The troops of the [People’s Liberation Army’s] Eastern Theater Command will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In a first, U.S. and Philippine forces will engage in a live-fire drill to sink a target ship in the Philippine territorial waters off the western province of Zambales, with Mr. Marcos on hand to monitor the exercise, Col. Michael Logico, a Philippine spokesman for Balikatan, told the Associated Press.
“We have to fire at a target that is closer to what we would expect in an actual threat, which is an intrusion coming from an adversary by sea,” Col. Logico said. “We are demonstrating that we are combat-ready.”
The Marcos government has tried to walk a fine line, saying it will defend its sovereign rights but insisting the drills and stepped-up relationship with Washington should not be interpreted as part of a strategy to contain or provoke China.
Philippine military officials say the maneuvers were designed to improve the country’s coastal defense and disaster-response capabilities and were not aimed at any country.
— This article was based in part on wire service reports.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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