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The Philippines
This Week in AsiaPolitics

US-Philippines drills: island retaking, ship sinking simulate Taiwan, South China Sea conflicts

  • Island-retaking exercise in far northern Philippines appears to be in preparation for hostilities breaking out over Taiwan, observers say
  • Sinking of Chinese-made Philippine navy ship, repelling of invasion force among other key exercises, as troops test viability of US missile deployment

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US troops secure an airport in the Philippines’ northernmost town of Itbayat, Batanes province, on Monday during the ongoing Balikatan joint military exercises. Photo: AP
Raissa Robles
Philippine and US forces are simulating scenarios that observers say are relevant to potential conflicts over Taiwan and the South China Sea, with missions involving the retaking of an island and the sinking of a Chinese-made vessel in the final week of this year’s Balikatan joint military exercises.
On Monday, a small contingent of US and Philippine marines disembarked from Black Hawk helicopters in Itbayat, a remote town located on the Philippines’ northernmost island of the same name, which is about 160km (100 miles) south of Taiwan.

Their mission was to practise retaking the remote island, which lies along the strategic Bashi Channel, from a foreign invader.

Philippine and US Marines carry equipment at Paredes Air Station in Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines, during a joint military exercise on Monday. Photo: AP
Philippine and US Marines carry equipment at Paredes Air Station in Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines, during a joint military exercise on Monday. Photo: AP
More than 11,000 troops from the United States and 5,000 from the Philippines, as well as 150 Australian and 100 French armed forces, are taking part in this year’s edition of the Balikatan drills, which began on April 22 and run until Friday.

For the first time, some of this year’s exercises are taking place beyond the 12 nautical-mile boundary of the Philippines’ territorial waters. Fourteen other nations sent “observers”.

The presence of two Chinese navy ships in the South China Sea during the group sail exercise prompted Balikatan 2024 spokesman Army Colonel Michael Logico to say on April 30: “I thought there are just 14 countries that will be sending observers. Apparently, there is a 15th country that sent observers.”

Washington-based defence journalist Aaron Matthew Lariosa, who writes for the US Naval Institute and Naval News and has covered multiple Balikatan drills, said a similar island-retaking exercise during last year’s event took place on an island facing the South China Sea rather than the northern Philippines.

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