US, Philippine forces launch largest joint drill amid rising tensions in South China Sea

The United States and the Philippines have launched their most comprehensive joint military exercise to date, marking a significant step in Washington’s intensifying defence cooperation with its oldest Asian ally amid mounting tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The 2024 Balikatan exercises, which began on April 21, will for the first time include a “full battle test” simulating real-world war scenarios in potential flashpoints such as Taiwan and the South China Sea, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The expanded drills combine operations developed over the past two years — including coastal missile strikes and island defence — into a unified combat simulation under realistic conditions.

“We will demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so,” said Lieutenant General James Glynn, the US exercise director, at the opening ceremony in Manila.

General Romeo Brawner, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, emphasized the drills’ strategic depth, stating, “We are now testing all of the plans . . . all of the procedures that we have developed in the past years.”

The exercises underscore Washington’s renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific, a priority reaffirmed despite concerns raised by President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a visit to the Philippines last month, asserted that the US aimed to “re-establish deterrence, and come alongside our allies and partners first and foremost in this region.”

According to a leaked strategy document, Hegseth emphasized that the US would “assume risk” in other regions to concentrate on China, which it now views as its “sole pacing threat.”

“I don’t see a lot of difference in terms of US posture from Trump I to Biden all the way to Trump II in terms of US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, which is to preserve peace and stability here,” said Vincent Chao, a Taiwanese politician and former diplomat in Washington.

The exercises involve nearly 18,000 troops and expanded geographical coverage, including Palawan and the Luzon Strait, with Japanese and Australian forces participating more actively. This signals a unified regional stance amid China’s aggressive territorial claims and growing maritime assertiveness.

By Vafa Guliyeva