Description: US Major General Francisco Lorenzo has announced the commencement of the joint combat drills with Philippine’s military labeled as Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder). The drills would last for three weeks where more than 14,000 troops would be deployed in live fire exercises in the South China Sea, which China continuously contests as their sovereign territory. US advanced weapons, such as the HIMARS rocket launcher and the NMESIS anti – ship missile system would be showcased as well as various modern missiles which the Philippines would introduce. According to Major General Lorenzo, the drills weren’t aimed at a specific country but were a signal of US deterrent capabilities in the Indo – Pacific. The combat drills come on the precipice of growing tensions between China and the Philippines which had several run – ins between the coastguards of both countries in the past couple of months.
Impact: The joint combat drills represent a clear message from the US to China regarding their imperative strategic interests in the Indo – Pacific. China has escalated hybrid and naval efforts as multiple cases of close encounters with the Philippine’s coastguard were recorded in the past couple of months. Taiwan has also experienced large – scale disinformation campaigns and live combat drills near the island’s shores. The US has reiterated their strategic priorities as they bolster their defensive presence and strengthen military posturing as part of their direct geopolitical confrontation with China. Multilateral tensions between the US, its regional allies and China are set to grow as the supremacy struggle in the Indo – Pacific intensifies.