The US and the Philippines begin joint combat drills in a significant “full battle test” exercise

To increase defense readiness in the face of South China Sea concerns, US and Philippine military have started extensive combat rehearsals.

In an indication of growing defense cooperation in response to escalating South China Sea tensions and wider regional security concerns, more than 14,000 US and Philippine troops began their largest annual joint military exercise, Balikatan, on Monday.

The three-week exercises, which will conclude on May 9, include a number of maritime and live-fire exercises designed to assess the combat readiness of both nations. Highlights include the use of the Philippine military’s own contemporary missiles in conjunction with cutting-edge US military equipment such as the HIMARS rocket launchers and the NMESIS anti-ship missile system.

In order to test the joint forces’ capacity to eliminate marine threats, a decommissioned Philippine naval ship would be sunk as part of a maritime strike scenario, according to a media description.

The 2025 exercises, according to US Lieutenant General James Glynn, who is leading the American contingent, are “full battle tests” intended to handle the changing threats in the Indo-Pacific area, especially in the South China Sea.

Glynn stated at a media briefing that the full war exercises are designed to account for all of the current regional security issues, starting in the South China Sea.

With 9,000 US soldiers and 5,000 Filipino soldiers, this year’s Balikatan is one of the biggest yet. Australia, Japan, Britain, France, and Canada are among the 16 countries sending observers, and military forces from these countries are also taking part in restricted capacities.

The exercises are a deterrent and are not targeted against any particular country, explained Major General Francisco Lorenzo, the director of the Philippine exercise.

“It’s likely that the Balikatan exercise will help prevent the conflict in Taiwan.” However, it is solely for the purpose of discouraging any potential coercion or invasion of our nation, according to Lorenzo.

With several clashes between their coast guards in contested waters over the past two years, the exercises are taking place against a backdrop of escalating tensions between China and the Philippines. Manila and an international tribunal verdict both reject Beijing’s claim to almost the whole South China Sea.

The Balikatan drills highlight the Philippines’ stronger defense relations with the United States and its wider alignment with other regional democracies seeking to sustain a rules-based order, particularly as tensions in the Indo-Pacific continue to intensify.