US and Filipino forces to carry out a “full fight test” in the South China Sea

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The US and Filipino forces should carry out their first “full fight test” for the common fights in lightning points such as Taiwan or in the southern China Sea, in a reflection of Washington’s quickly deeply deeply deeper commitment with its oldest Asian ally.

This year’s Balikatan exercises, which the bilateral annual main drills of the two countries from Monday, will combine elements that are practiced in the past two years – such as:

“We will not only demonstrate our will to maintain our defense contract, which has existed since 1951, but also our incomparable ability to do so,” said American Lieutenant James Glynn on Monday at the opening ceremony in Manila.

General Romeo Brawner, chief of staff of the Philippines armed forces, said in the beginning of this month that the two armed forces “now tested all the plans … all the procedures that we have developed in recent years”.

Analysts said that the drill suggested that the US military had committed its focus on the Indo-Pacific region, although President Donald Trump has raised the unpredictable foreign policy among allies.

Defense Minister Pete Hegseth said during a visit to the Philippines in the past month that Washington was determined to “restore the deterrent and primarily to come together with our allies and partners in this region”.

In a leaked strategy guide document, Hegseth said that the United States would “take risk” in other regions to concentrate on China as a “sole threat”.

“I see no big difference in the US farming from Trump I to Biden to Trump II in relation to the US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, namely peace and stability here,” said Vincent Chao, a Taiwanese politician who previously served in Taiwan’s quasi-embassy in Washington.

The increased complexity of Balikan, which means “shoulder to shoulder” in the Philippine language, shows how the two countries have been bothering the defense bonds since the Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos JR in 2022 and reversing the policy of his predecessor to convert China.

Manila gave the US armed forces access to four other Filipino military bases, in addition to five previously agreed, while Baliktan doubled almost 18,000 soldiers in 2023.

This year Batanes, the northernmost territory of the Philippines near Taiwan, were added to the exercises for the first time when the US and Filipino Marines practiced a strategically located island that was confiscated by an enemy.

Now this component of the exercises is extended to Taiwan for 10 days, and the US Marine Corps will be used for the first time anti-ship rockets on Luzon-Straße.

The two military people will also expand these so -called maritime Key Terrain Security Operations (MKTSO) to the edge of the controversial South China Sea, which China almost fully claims.

A five-day MKTSO is planned on Balabac, an island house one of the US armed forces open. It is located south of Palawan, the large island, the controversial reefs and banks like the second Thomas Shoal and Sabina Shoal are closest, where the Philippines and China met repeatedly.

Palawan will also organize a live-fire drill that is intended to prevent enemy forces from landing on a beach-a component that was previously kept in less sensitive places.

Japanese armed forces will take part for the first time this year instead of just observing Balikan. You join Australia, another important US ally in the region who has been sending small quotas since 2014.