By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow
The South China Sea, a focus of geopolitical tensions, witnessed a significant military exercise. In a recent display of military might, the combined forces of the United States and the Philippines demonstrated their prowess with support from an Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft. This was done through a series of high-precision rocket launches, artillery fire, and airstrikes, culminating in the sinking of a simulated enemy vessel. This was part of a large-scale war exercise conducted in and around the contentious South China Sea, a move that has not gone unnoticed by Beijing.
The drills were conducted in and near the disputed South China Sea, with military officials and diplomats from several countries observing the display of firepower. The exercise involved more than 16,000 military personnel from the United States and the Philippines, a few hundred Australian troops, and military observers from 14 countries. The Australian air force provided surveillance support, while the U.S. and Philippine forces unleashed a barrage of high-precision rockets and artillery fire. The culmination of this joint operation was the sinking of a mock enemy ship.
The war drills were not intended toward a specific country or intended as any kind of provocation, according to military officials cited in a South China Morning Post essay. The combat drills, merely intended to refine joint readiness among US and Philippine allied forces in the region, were part of what’s called the annual Balikatan Joint Military Exercises, as described by the paper.
US & Philippine alliance
This exercise is the most recent manifestation of the strengthening defense treaty alliance between the United States and the Philippines, an alliance that originated in the 1950s. The focus of this alliance has shifted in recent years due to growing concerns over China’s increasingly assertive actions in disputed Asian territories.
The President of Philippines, Bongbong Marcos has directed his military to pivot from long-standing domestic anti-insurgency operations to external defense, in light of China’s activities in the South China Sea becoming a primary concern. This strategic shift aligns with the efforts of U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration to fortify a network of alliances in the Indo-Pacific region as a countermeasure against China.
China’s aggressive actions, which include repeated harassment of Philippine navy and coast guard ships using powerful water cannons, military-grade lasers, and other dangerous maneuvers in the high seas near two disputed South China Sea shoals, have provoked the Philippines. These actions have resulted in minor collisions that have injured several Filipino navy personnel and damaged supply boats.
Now, China has accused the Philippines of initiating hostilities in the disputed waters by encroaching on what it claims are its offshore territories, marked by 10 dashes on a map. It asserts that the Chinese coast guard and navy have been compelled to take action to expel Philippine coast guard and other vessels from those areas. The Philippines has consistently referred to a 2016 international arbitration ruling based on the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea that invalidated China’s claim over virtually the entire South China Sea on historical grounds. China rejected this ruling and continues to defy it.
During the combat drills, a mock enemy ship, which was made in China but decommissioned by the Philippine navy in 2020 due to mechanical and electrical issues, was repeatedly hit by missile dropped by U.S. and Philippine warplanes. The ship eventually sank, with black smoke billowing from its stern.
Philippine military officials have stated that the drills were not aimed at any specific country. However, China has expressed opposition to military exercises involving U.S. forces and the increasing deployment of U.S. military in the region, warning that these actions could escalate tensions and jeopardize regional stability.
China has expressed strong resistance to the recent actions permitting U.S. military forces to set up forward operating bases and observation points in the northern regions of the Philippines, strategically located across the strait from Taiwan, as well as in the western provinces of the Philippines overlooking the South China Sea.
This show of force is a response to China’s increasingly assertive actions in disputed territories, and it signals a strategic shift in the Philippines’ defense policy. However, these actions have not been without controversy, with China voicing strong opposition and warning of potential escalation of tensions and threats to regional stability.
