US, Philippines Follow Taiwan Drills With Biggest Exercises
- Drills to develop maritime security, amphibious operations
- Exercises come in week China sent planes, ships near Taiwan
This article is for subscribers only.
The US and the Philippines kicked off the largest version of their flagship military exercise in more than 30 years on Tuesday, a high-profile display of their renewed alliance that includes live-fire training targeting a decommissioned vessel near the South China Sea.
The annual Balikatan exercise comes just a day after China concluded its own drills around Taiwan and focuses on developing maritime security and amphibious operations at a time Manila and Washington are seeking to push back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.