By Adrian Portugal
PALAWAN, Philippines, April 27 (Reuters) - As simulated enemy boats and unmanned craft closed in on the shores of Palawan island facing the South China Sea, Philippine and U.S. forces conducted counter-landing drills on Monday, repelling a mock assault by using live fire against designated targets and intercepting threats.
The display of advanced weapons capabilities and operational readiness was part of the annual Balikatan or "shoulder to shoulder" exercises, bringing together
forces from the Philippines, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to rehearse coastal defence manoeuvres and test their ability to work together to protect territorial waters.
Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner underscored the location's strategic value, noting that Palawan faces the South China Sea and lies opposite the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the Spratly Islands that Manila regards as part of its exclusive economic zone.
"We are defending our exclusive economic zone, where we get our resources, food, and energy. So it's really very important that we defend this territory of the Philippines," Brawner told reporters.
Brawner said this year's counter‑landing exercise, which features systems such as HIMARS, differed from previous iterations by its heavy use of unmanned systems, including drones.
China has previously criticised the joint military exercises conducted by the Philippines and its allies, saying they raise regional tensions.
Manila and Beijing have been locked in a series of maritime confrontations in the South China Sea in recent years, which China claims almost entirely as its own despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated those claims.
THIS YEAR'S 'BALIKATAN' THE LARGEST TO DATE
This year's iteration of the Balikatan is the largest to date in terms of the number of participating countries, Philippine and U.S. military officials have said.
Another phase of the April 20 to May 8 drills will be held in northern Luzon, the Philippines' largest island, closest to Taiwan, where combat troops from Japan, joining for the first time, will fire Type 88 missiles during a maritime strike exercise.
Tokyo has been strengthening its defence engagement with Manila after the two sides signed a reciprocal access agreement in 2024, allowing them to deploy their militaries in each other's territory.
The Philippines also welcomed Japan's move to scrap restrictions on overseas arms sales, opening the way for exports of warships, missiles, and other weapons.
More than 17,000 troops are taking part this year, including about 10,000 from the United States. Washington said the scale of the drills underscores its defence commitments to the region, even as it remains engaged in the Middle East.
(Reporting by Adrian Portugal; Writing by Karen Lema; Editing by David Stanway)
