The Philippines and the United States will hold the biggest war games between them next month with 17,600 troops participating, including live-fire exercises at sea in a first for the annual military exercises, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Tuesday.
The announcement for “Balikatan 2023” comes a day after the start of the three-week “Salaknib” exercises between the Philippine and American armies with 3,000 troops participating.
“This is officially the largest Balikatan exercise,” said Col. Michael Logico, spokesperson of Balikatan 2023, which will be held from April 11 to 28 in Palawan, Antique, and parts of Northern Luzon.
About two-thirds or 12,000 of the participating Balikatan troops will come from the United States, while the rest are Philippine soldiers, with 111 Australian personnel joining in smaller events and Japanese forces as observers.
This developed as Australia unveiled plans Tuesday to buy up to five US nuclear-powered submarines, then build a new model with US and British technology under an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle across the Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China (see full story in World, page A7 – Editors).
Australia is seeking an expanded role in the defense and security in the Indo-Pacific region as Canberra plans to purchase several nuclear-powered submarines from the US to boost its defense capability, its diplomat in the Philippines said on Monday.
In a Twitter post, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu said Australia is now “investing in capabilities to meet the challenges of our strategic circumstances.”
She stressed that it is to ensure that the Indo-Pacific “remains stable, secure and prosperous” amid China’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea.
“We are grateful for the Philippines’ support as Australia seeks to become a more capable defense partner in the region,” she added.
Australian forces will be taking part in smaller Balikatan events such as special operations and land-based exercises, said Logico, the director of the Joint and Combined Training Center of the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said the Philippine government should give attention and ponder on China’s warning that the United States is dragging our country into war with the extension of four EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) sites.
“We should take time to review and reflect on the coverage of our Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States, “ said Pimentel.
“Under the MDT, did we hand over to the US the direction of our foreign policy?” he asked.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros noted that as a sovereign country, the Philippines gets to determine “what is best for our national interest—not China, not the US, not any other foreign country.”
In fact, she said the serious harm and endangerment that has been inflicted so far has been by China in the West Philippine Sea, which is documented and undisputed.
“Perhaps China should look in the mirror before casting a stone,” said Hontiveros amid Chinese criticism of the EDCA deal.
Sen. JV Ejercito said it is China, and not the US, which has been “dragging us to war.”
“I think they (Chinese) are the ones who are very aggressive and hostile. I am really pissed off seeing what they have been doing to our Navy, and right now recently, our Coast Guard, they’re very hostile,” Ejercito said.
As for the live-fire exercises at sea – with the backdrop of rising tensions with China in the South China Sea – the AFP spokesman said: “In the past, we are exercising inside the CERAB (Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Tarlac), inside Fort Magsaysay. While we are still doing that, we are now going to be exercising outside the traditional areas.”
“Part of it is we are going to be doing live fire exercises in the water. Practically, we’re exercising in key locations where we are able to utilize all our service components,” Logico said.
Previously, Balikatan forces were just exercising the Air Force and the Army without the participation of the Navy because they were mainly on land, “so we are doing it in the water so we can exercise all our service components,” he added.
The AFP will be using its newly-acquired frigates, FA-50 jets, and artillery in the Balikatan, Logico said
In a press conference on Tuesday, Daniel Kritenbrink, US State Department Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the AUKUS partnership is part of Washington’s commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Kritenbrink said it is not about developing a capability to be used in one specific area, and that the agreement is not “aimed at any one particular country or challenge that exists out there.”
“It is a commitment, a decades-long commitment, to peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region. That builds on the work that we’ve done for many decades now, to contribute to that same peace and stability from which we all benefit,” the US official said.