PHILIPPINE and US marines on Monday started two weeks of joint military exercises in southern Philippines, with drills focused on amphibious assault missions and special operations, the Philippine Army said.
About 480 troops of the Philippine and US Marine Corps will participate in tactical operations drills on the shorelines of the major island of Mindanao and would feature live-fire exercises to simulate coastal defense operations and improve combat readiness. The Philippines’ army, police, and coast guard will also take part in the wargames.
This year’s marine drills came ahead of Exercise Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder), the largest joint military exercises between the Philippine and US forces, set to take place from April 21 to May 9.
“Interoperability is the key. It is not enough to be skilled individually — we must be able to operate seamlessly with our counterparts, whether from the Philippine Marine Corps or allied forces,” Philippine Army Major General Donald M. Gumiran said in his speech during the drills’ opening ceremony in Maguindanao del Norte province, according to a statement.
The Philippines and US’ Marine Exercise is a bilateral drill between their forces, meant at honing their forces’ compatibility and improving maritime warfighting capabilities, according to a news item published on the US Indo-Pacific Command’s website. The drills started in 2022. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
