If there’s any doubt the Philippines-United States defense cooperation is going great guns, in a manner of speaking, there’s the biggest-ever ‘Balikatan’ military exercise that should convince the skeptics the two allies really mean business amid growing tension in the region.
Consider this: the 18-day military exercise between Manila and Washington involves more than 17,000 troops—5,000 Filipinos, 12,000 Americans, and 111 Australians.
This participation is nearly double from last year’s 9,000 and also stands out from previous exercises in terms of size and scope. Observers from other countries allied with the United States are also taking part.
News reports indicate some of the drills to be carried out for the first time include live-fire training using Patriot missiles and Avengers air defense systems, both now being used by Ukraine to defend itself against the brazen Russian invasion.
The two allies will also sink a decommissioned 200-foot fishing vessel serving as a mock enemy ship, in waters facing the West Philippine Sea off Zambales province. We’re sure Beijing will be closely monitoring this.
What’s also new this year is that Balikatan would involve venturing outside traditional training areas, usually landlocked venues, to further test interoperability and readiness.
For our troops, training with the Americans is an opportunity for them to learn something new.
Aside from live-fire training, the drills will cover maritime security, amphibious operations, urban and aviation operations, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness.
Another area where Filipinos can learn from the US is cybersecurity. The two sides will create scenarios involving a cyberattack and how to defend against it.
Balikatan will provide ample opportunity to demonstrate the strength and readiness of the Philippine-US security alliance.
For the Philippine Army, a ground-based force focused for so long on fighting a homegrown insurgency, the joint exercise offers them a window focusing defense of the archipelago from potential foreign aggressors.
Retired Armed Forces chief Emmanuel Bautista views the ongoing military exercise as a response to threats posed by an increasingly powerful China.
“We’re preparing because the threat has become more real now and you can no longer brush it aside. In a long time, we never saw a credible threat of invasion of the Philippine territory, but now it’s possible,” he said.
The ongoing Balikatan drills coincide with a high-level meeting of top Filipino and American defense officials and diplomats in Washington, DC for the first time in seven years.
The drills also follow the official announcement of four new locations under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allowing the expansion of American military presence in the country from the five existing sites under the deal signed in 2014.
All this shows the enhanced security alliance between the Philippines and the United States that began with the signing of the landmark Mutual Defense Treaty way back in 1951.
We need that security umbrella and combat-readiness more than ever.
