More countries want active participation in Balikatan drills

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SOME of the countries that participated as observers in last year’s “Balikatan” exercises between the United States and Philippine armed forces have signified their intent to be “active” participants in this year’s drills, the military said yesterday.

There were 23 observer-countries in last year’s war exercises, according to AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla.

She declined to name which of the observers want to be active participants in this year’s Balikatan, noting that planning for the huge-scale annual exercises is still ongoing.

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“More nations want to participate actively… They will be giving their commitments, if they can bring their assets here. So until such time these are finalized, there’s nothing fixed,” said Padilla.

Australia and France were active participants in last year’s Balikatan drills that were held in various training areas in from April 21 to May 10. Japan participated as observer.

“It’s going to be one of the biggest,” Padilla said of this year’s Balikatan exercises without elaborating. She said the planning for the exercise began as early as last year.

The 2024 Balikatan saw at least 16,000 troops — 11,000 from the US and 5,000 from the Philippines – participating, along with hundreds of troops from Australia and France.

In past Balikatan drills, at-sea exercises were held within the country’s 12 nautical miles territorial sea. Last year, those exercises will be held beyond the territorial sea but still within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The exercises are being held amid continuing tension between the Philippines and China which has become aggressive in its claims in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea.

MISSILE SYSTEM

The Philippine Army said the US Typhon missile system, which has been in the country for nearly a year now, may be featured in a subject matter exchange (SMEE) activity next month.

The Typhon missile system was deployed by US forces to the Philippines in April last year as part of the “Salaknib” exercises, and has since stayed in the country, angering China which has repeatedly called for its withdrawal.  It was used in other exercises, including Balikatan.

Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala said the SMEE is preparatory to the conduct of the annual Salaknib drills due to be held by the Philippine and US armies in a couple of months.

“It will be conducted sometime in the second week to the third week of February as part of our preparation for the Salaknib exercise,” said Dema-ala.

Dema-ala said the SMEE will involve personnel from the Army Artillery Regiment and the US Army Pacific’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force.

The exercise will focus on the “payload delivery system” and will highlight the system’s capabilities, Dema-ala said, adding it would not include live-fire exercises.

“As long as the MRC (mid-range capability) is here, we maximize its utilization to train our personnel with these new technologies,” Dema-ala told a media briefing.

The Philippines last year expressed interest in acquiring the launchers as part of its modernization program.

Reuters reported last week the launchers were redeployed to a new location in the Philippines, which officials decline to disclose.

Tomahawk cruise missiles used in the launchers are capable of hitting targets in both China and Russia from the Philippines. The SM-6 missiles it also carries can strike air or sea targets more than 200 km (165 miles) away.

Security engagements between the Philippines and treaty ally, the United States, have intensified in recent years, as both countries aim to counter what they see as an increasingly assertive China.

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Strong ties between the two are expected to continue under US President Donald Trump, whose Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to the Philippines under their decades-old mutual defense treaty.

SOUND CANNON

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday maintained that the Chinese Coast Guard (PCG) used a long-range acoustic device (LRAD) in harassing a PCG vessel off Zambales in the West Philippine Sea last Saturday.

“We are witness to the real stories that are happening in the West Philippine Sea,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, told reporters in an interview.

On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Manila denied Tarriela’s pronouncement that CCG vessel 3103 used the LRAD in harassing PCG vessel BRP Cabra which has been monitoring the illegal presence of Chinese vessels off Zambales.

“You know the Chinese has not admitted anything even before,” said Tarriela.

He recalled an incident about two years ago when a CCG vessel pointed a military-grade laser at a PCG vessel, causing temporary blindness on the crew members.

“The following day, Ambassador Huang Xilian even did a press conference, he said the laser pointer that was used can be bought at Shopee,” said Tarriela.

“This kind of information is actually a mockery of the Filipino people. We don’t accept those kinds of explanations from the (Chinese) embassy,” Tarriela also said.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said China’s use of the LRAD “is an increase in the aggression of the Chinese Communist Party in the West Philippine Sea.”

“It only highlights the illegal presence, their coercive and now more aggressive actions, and their deceptive messaging by saying that Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) is part of their territory,” added Trinidad.

Trinidad stressed the Armed Forces and the PCG continue to conduct patrols in the West Philippine Sea.

“We are all there protecting the sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said. – With Reuters

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