US-Philippine drills: island-retaking, sinking of Chinese-made vessel simulate potential regional conflicts

Their exercise mission was to retake the remote island, which lies along the strategic Bashi Channel, from a foreign invader.

More than 11,000 troops from the United States and 5,000 from the Philippines, as well as 150 Australian and 100 French armed forces, are taking part in this year’s edition of the Balikatan, which began on April 22 and run until Friday.

For the first time, some of this year’s exercises are taking place beyond the 12 nautical-mile boundary of the Philippines’ territorial waters. Fourteen other nations sent “observers”.

The presence of two Chinese navy ships in the South China Sea during the group sail exercise prompted Balikatan 2024 spokesman Army Colonel Michael Logico to say on April 30: “I thought there are just 14 countries that will be sending observers. Apparently, there is a 15th country that sent observers.”

Washington-based defence journalist Aaron Matthew Lariosa, who writes for the US Naval Institute and Naval News and has covered multiple Balikatans, said a similar island-retaking exercise during last year’s event took place on an island facing the South China Sea rather than the northern Philippines.

He said this year’s exercise was different from the previous one because it appeared to be in preparation for a real-world scenario – that of hostilities breaking out over Taiwan.

Such a conflict could have serious ramifications for the Philippines, even if it was not directly involved in the hostilities, he noted.

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US and Philippines conduct annual Balikatan drills amid rising tensions with China

“Given the Philippines’ proximity, a cross-strait crisis can have very tangible spillover effects in [terms of] either refugees fleeing the conflict or military forces occupying the strategic