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Philippines' military Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., center left, and US Embassy Chargé d' Affaires, Robert Ewing, center right, arrive during the opening ceremonies of the "Balikatan" or Shoulder-to-Shoulder at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines on Monday April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

US and Philippine forces launch combat drills in the disputed South China Sea

American and Filipino forces have launched their largest combat exercises in years in a show of allied firepower that will include joint sails with the French navy and a ship-sinking drill near the disputed South China Sea that has alarmed Beijing

By JIM GOMEZ
Published - Apr 22, 2024, 03:31 AM ET
Last Updated - Apr 22, 2024, 03:31 AM EDT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — American and Filipino forces launched their largest combat exercises in years Monday in a show of allied firepower near the disputed South China Sea that has alarmed Beijing.

The annual exercises by the longtime treaty allies will run until May 10 and involve more than 16,000 of their military personnel, along with more than 250 French and Australian forces.

While the Philippine military maintains that the Balikatan — Tagalog for “shoulder-to-shoulder” — trainings are not directed at a particular country, some of their main conflict scenarios are set in or near the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine coast guard and accompanying ships have figured in a series of increasingly tense territorial faceoffs since last year.

In encounters in disputed areas, Chinese coast guard vessels have resorting to water cannons, blocking and other dangerous maneuvers that have caused injuries to Philippine navy personnel and damaged supply boats.

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