Philippines, US kick off most extensive joint military drills

Manila, April 11

The Philippines and US on Tuesday kicked off the most extensive joint military activities in decades in the the Southeast Asian nation amid criticisms that it escalates tension in the region rather than peace and stability.

According to the Philippine military, the 18-day yearly exercise dubbed 'Balikatan' involves 5,400 Philippine and 12,200 US troops, making it the largest iteration of the joint drills conducted between the two nations in decades, reports Xinhua news agency.

About 100 members of the Australian armed forces join in the exercises, while a dozen countries, including Japan and Britain, are participating as observers.

Balikatan 2023 will be held in several areas including northern Luzon island, Palawan province, Batanes islands, and Zambales province from April 11 to 28.

The drills will focus on maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire training, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief preparedness.

The Philippines and the US will deploy complex weapons systems, including a Patriot missile battery and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

Hundreds of protesters, including League of Filipino Students members, held a "lightning rally" at around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, a few hours before the official start of the Balikatan exercise.

The students urged the Philippine government to trash the military agreements with the US.

Protesters carried placards and banners denouncing the drills, urging Filipinos to oppose the joint exercises.

Some activists hurled "paint bombs", defacing the seal of the US Embassy in Manila to denounce the joint military training.

Another protest was held at the gate of a military camp while the opening ceremony was underway inside the main headquarters.

Balikatan, a Tagalog phrase for "shoulder-to-shoulder", is the most comprehensive among several regular Philippines-US joint military exercises.

The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) gives US troops a legal basis for being in the Southeast Asian country for bilateral military exercises and governs the conduct of American armed force personnel.