US, Philippines hold combat drills to brace for possible crisis in South China Sea, Taiwan

Called Kamandag the Tagalog acronym for ‘Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea’ – the drills involve mock amphibious assaults and special operation

Drills in the Philippines are being held simultaneously with combat exercises between US Marines and Japanese forces on Japan’s island of Hokkaido

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Philippine and US marines salute while their national anthems are played during the opening ceremony of “Kamandag” , a joint military exercise between US and Philippine marines on Monday. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:15pm, 3 Oct 2022Updated: 3:21pm, 3 Oct 2022

More than 2,500 US and Philippine marines joined combat exercises on Monday to be able to respond to any sudden crisis in a region long on tenterhooks over South China Sea territorial disputes and increasing tensions over Taiwan.

The annual military drills are some of the largest so far between the long-time treaty allies under newly elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had been an outspoken critic of US security policies and frowned on military exercises with American forces he said could offend China.

Called Kamandag the Tagalog acronym for “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea” – the drills involve 1,900 US Marines and more than 600 mostly Philippine counterparts in mock amphibious assaults and special operations, US and Philippine military officials said. America’s HIMARS missile launchers and supersonic fighter jets will be in live-fire manoeuvres that will end on October 14, they said.

The venues include the western island province of Palawan, which faces the South China Sea, and the northern Philippines, across the Luzon Strait from Taiwan.

The military manoeuvres in the Philippines are being held simultaneously with combat exercises between US Marines and Japanese army Self-Defence Forces on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido that involve about 3,000 military personnel from both sides, US military officials said.

US Major General Jay Bargeron of the Japan-based 3rd Marine Division said the simultaneous exercises were aimed at bolstering the defensive capabilities of the US alliances with the Philippines and Japan “through realistic combined training.”

“These exercises will allow our forces to strengthen interoperability and readiness to ensure we are prepared to rapidly respond to crisis throughout the Indo-Pacific,” Bargeron said in a statement.