18 countries taking part in military exercises
THE huge-scale “Balikatan” war exercise between American and Filipino troops is due to formally open today, with this year’s games adapting to evolving security challenges.
At least 16,000 troops — 11,000 from the US and 5,000 from the Philippine side — will take part in the exercise, along with hundreds of troops from Australia and France which were invited to be direct participants this year’s iteration of Balikatan.
Fourteen countries, including Japan, will take part in the exercise as observers.
“This Balikatan exercise is distinctive due to its scale and evolving nature, adapting to contemporary security challenges,” said Armed Forces spokeswoman Col. Francel Margareth Padilla of the annual exercise.
US and Philippine security officials are set to attend the opening ceremony for the 39th iteration of the Balikatan exercise at the AFP general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo this morning. The exercise will be held in training areas in Luzon until May 10.
One of the major events under this year’s Balikatan is a joint sail of ships from the Philippines, US and France in the West Philippine Sea from April 25 to May 4. These vessels will conduct gunnery exercise and other training activities during the joint sail.
Another major event is a maritime strike or ship sinking exercise which will be held off Laoag City Ilocos Norte on May 8.
US and Philippine military assets will showcase naval, air and ground assets in sinking a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship, BRP Lake Caliraya, during the drill.
Balikatan is one of the many annual exercises held by US and Filipino troops under the Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1951 by the two countries. The agreement mandates both countries to come into each other’s aid in case of an armed attack.
The Americans, for this year’s Balikatan, have dedicated warships, F-35 and F-22 fighters, and medium-range capability weapon system, among others.
The Philippine military will showcase some of its acquired assets under its modernization program, including a frigate, FA-50 fighter jets, and Super Tucano light attack aircraft.
In past Balikatan exercises, at-sea exercises were held within the country’s 12 nautical miles territorial sea. This year, these exercises will be held beyond the territorial sea but still within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
“Every Balikatan is increasingly complex than the last. It has evolved from the tactical to the operational level of war,” said Padilla.
Padilla said countries taking part in the Balikatan exercise are aiming to “enhance interoperability, strengthen alliances, and deepen regional security cooperation.”
“Balikatan is a demonstration of combat readiness and interoperability with our treaty allies. Our focus remains on bolstering external defense capabilities and fostering peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.
COLLECTIVE SECURITY
The exercise is being held amid a rising tension with China which has become aggressive in its claims in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea.
Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia vessels have harassed Philippine vessels in the past months, including those involved in resupply missions to Philippine-held Ayungin Shoal, through dangerous maneuvers, water cannoning and ramming.
Padilla, asked if this year’s Balikatan exercise has something to do with intensified Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, said, “This Balikatan exercise is an annual event aimed at strengthening defense capabilities and alliances.”
“While we remain vigilant in the face of regional challenges, the exercise is not explicitly tied to any particular country’s actions. Its primary objective is to enhance collective security and readiness among participating nations,” she added.
The Balikatan information bureau said this year’s exercise “aims to bolster collaboration and readiness across a spectrum of critical areas including external defense operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and interagency capacity-building.”
“This robust engagement underscores the enduring partnership between the two nations and their shared commitment to regional security and stability,” it said in a statement last week.
This year’s exercise will be co-headed by Lt. Gen. William Jurney, commander of the US Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and Maj. Gen. Marvin Licudine, commander of the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command.
“Our combined capabilities with the Armed Forces of the Philippines are stronger than ever.
Every day that we work and train together, the bonds between our people grow stronger, our capabilities grow stronger, our alliance grows stronger,” said Jurney in the statement.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr, in the same statement, emphasized the significance of this year’s Balikatan in advancing interoperability and readiness between the two sides.
“Together, we speed up our march towards enhancing our military capabilities for maritime security alongside honing other competencies in order to effectively address the dynamic challenges across all domains,” said Brawner.
