The meeting is not new between the two allies. But, lift him up Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Balikatan (“shoulder to shoulder” in Tagalog, one of the languages spoken in the Philippines) that the Philippine and American armies will conduct this year will be “the largest joint military exercise to date”.
From April 11 to 28, some 17,600 soldiers – including 12,000 Americans – will take part in these exercises. “Nearly double compared to last year and the 8,900 men mobilized”, notes the Manila daily. About 100 Australian soldiers and observers from the Japanese forces will also be present.
The scale of the mobilization is not the only novelty of this 2023 edition. For the first time, thus emphasizes the Philippine Star, the exercises will be conducted at sea and will include live fire. “The US military will also conduct its first air defense exercise in the Philippines with Patriot missiles,” add theInquirer.
And the two armies plan to sink an old trawler some 180 kilometers from the reef of Scarborough (Panatag for the Filipinos) claimed by Manila, Beijing and Taipei but occupied by China. “We will sink a target ship using a combination of naval gunfire and air weapons,” explains Colonel Michael Logico, Balikatan spokesman and quoted by theInquirer.
“We will also use Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System).”
This exercise will be conducted from the province of Zambales. Another part of Balikatan will unfold from the island of Palawan, not far from other disputed atolls and, for the first time, in the province of Ilocos Norte, “one of the closest areas to Taiwan”, notes the correspondent of Straits Times Singaporean in Manila.
“Chinese presence reinforced in the South China Sea and threat of an invasion of Taiwan” are, according to Philippine Daily Inquirerthe two axes underlying these exercises and the strengthening of military cooperation between the two historical allies since the coming to power of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Even if officially, according to Colonel Michael Logico quoted by the Straits Times, “Our military exercises are not going against China. We are here to train, we are here to show that we are ready to fight”. And to add however:
“We have the absolute and inalienable right to defend our territory, that’s all I can say.”
