More drills between PH, US troops set in Batanes, Palawan

TEST-FIRING DRONE KILLER The Marine Air Defense Integrated System (Madis) is deployed at the “Balikatan” exercises in San Antonio, Zambales, on Sunday. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — After the completion of this year’s Balikatan exercises on May 9, Filipino and American troops will also hold joint military drills in Batanes and Palawan, which are key provinces in the country’s defense amid growing regional tensions over Beijing’s acts of aggression in the South China Sea.

Batanes is the province nearest to Taiwan, while Palawan faces the West Philippine Sea, whose waters are within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

The joint exercise called “Kamandag,” an acronym in Filipino for “cooperation of the warriors of the sea,” will be held from May 26 to June 6.

Participants include members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and the United Kingdom Armed Forces.

READ: US general: War games mean ‘don’t mess with us’

The Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment of the US Marines said that Filipino and American troops will hold a maritime key terrain security operation in Northern Luzon, including Batanes province.

The US earlier deployed several of its antiship missile systems, NMESIS, to Batanes for the Balikatan exercises.

The US Marines said that troops will also conduct combined arms live-fire at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac, and a Special Operations Forces strike in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

The US Marines said an unspecified military drill will likewise be held in Tawi-Tawi province. Other exercises include defensive counter-landing live-fire, littoral maneuver, amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief training.

The expanded scope and participation, according to the US Marines, “highlight the global importance of maritime security, the value of building multinational maritime domain awareness, and a shared commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.” /cb/abc