Thousands of US and Philippine forces yesterday pummeled a ship with a barrage of high-precision rockets, airstrikes and artillery fire in their largest war drills in Philippine waters.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr watched the US show of firepower from an observation tower in the coastal town of San Antonio in northwestern Zambales province.
Marcos has ordered his military to shift its focus to external defense from decades-long anti-insurgency battles as China’s actions in the South China Sea become a top concern.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The shift in the Philippine defense focus falls in sync with the aim of the administration of US President Joe Biden of reinforcing an arc of alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to better counter China.
Sitting beside US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, and his top defense and security advisers, Marcos used a pair of binoculars, smiling and nodding, as rockets streaked into the blue sky from the US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a multiple rocket and missile launcher mounted on a truck that has become a crucial weapon for Ukrainian troops battling Russian invasion forces.
The coastal clearing in front of Marcos resembled a smoke-shrouded war zone, which thudded with artillery fire as AH-64 Apache helicopters flew overhead.
“This training increased the exercise’s realism and complexity, a key priority shared between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US military,” said Lieutenant General William Jurney, commander of US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific.
“Together we are strengthening our capabilities in full-spectrum military operations across all domains,” said Jurney, the US director for the annual joint exercises called Balikatan, Filipino for ”shoulder-to-shoulder.”
About 12,200 US military personnel, 5,400 Philippine forces and 111 Australian counterparts were taking part in the exercises, the largest since Balikatan started three decades ago.
The drills have showcased US warships, fighter jets as well as Patriot missiles, HIMARS and anti-tank Javelins, US and Philippine military officials said.
The vessel that was targeted was a decommissioned Philippine Navy warship, which was towed about 18km to 22km out to sea.
Smaller floating targets, including empty drums tied together, were also used as targets to simulate a battle scene where a US Marine Corps command and control hub enabled scattered allied forces to identify and locate enemy targets then deliver precision rocket and missile fire.
Philippine military officials said that the maneuvers would bolster the country’s coastal defense and disaster-response capabilities, and were not aimed at any country.
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