THE South China Sea and its portion we call West Philippine Sea are now heavily militarized and will remain so in the next few days as the Philippines and the United States deploy their warships for the annual “Balikatan” exercises.
Interestingly, gray ships of the Australian and French navies are sailing next to ours, and inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, in this year’s maritime drill. The Japan Defense Force is joining the group as observer along with 13 other nations.
Balikatan 2024 aims to bolster collaboration and readiness across a range of critical areas, said Col. Michael Logico, Balikatan 2024 spokesman. By collaboration and interoperability of the maritime security forces of these countries allied with the US, they mean external defense, cyber defense, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, disaster assistance and capacity-building.
‘Parading these naval assets in the contested areas of the West Philippine Sea comes with some risk at this time but let us just put our faith in government and hope that our officials are doing the right thing.’
At least 16,000 troops (11,000 on the US side and 5,000 from the Philippines) will take part in the Balikatan exercise with the participation of 14 countries as observers. Logico said the objective of Balikatan exercises is to demonstrate the strength of the alliance and its willingness to defend territory.
Logico said these exercises are done to hone our combat readiness and demonstrate our comprehensive archipelagic defense concept.
“You do exercises for that primary reason to maintain a high level of readiness,” he said. “I do not discount the possibility that this also sends a message to our adversaries,” he added.
Lt. Gen. William Jurney, commander of US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific and US exercise director for Balikatan 2024, expressed confidence in the strengthened capabilities achieved through joint endeavors.”
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. emphasized the significance of Balikatan 2024 in advancing interoperability and readiness across various domains. “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.”
There is no mention about China among these military officers involved in the Balikatan 2024, which is just as it should be as the mere act of sailing as a group is nothing but a display of the American military might in the seas. This will invite, and has in fact invited, harsh criticism from China as this giant neighbor and the US continue their rivalry as contending superpowers.
Balikatan this year will involve at least two American warships, F-22 Raptor fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters, Black Hawk helicopters, and medium-range capability weapon systems. The Armed Forces of the Philippines will use FA-50 fighter jets, Super Tucano light attack aircraft, Black Hawk combat utility helicopters and the Spyder ground-based air defense system of the Philippine Air Force. Also participating are the frigate BRP Antonio Luna, patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz, and landing dock BRP Davao del Sur of the Philippine Navy.
The military pointed out that all these war games are not just saber-rattling because they will have projects that will benefit local communities. Initiatives include the construction of school buildings in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan, as well as health care centers in La Union and Palawan. Brawner said these endeavors underscore the commitment to fostering sustainable development and strengthening ties between military forces and civilian populations.
Parading these naval assets in the contested areas of the West Philippine Sea comes with some risk at this time but let us just put our faith in government and hope that our officials are doing the right thing.
