Philippines, US launch live-fire drill with South China Sea in sight to show unity
- The drill involving the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System was partly based on a potential South China Sea conflict, analysts say
The exercise for the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is meant for defensive scenarios including a possible conflict in the South China Sea that may threaten the sovereignty of the Philippines, analysts say.
During the drill at the Philippine military’s training facility in Laur, Central Luzon, Filipino soldiers prepared the HIMARs by loading the rockets themselves and assisted their American counterparts in the firing of three rockets that landed about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) away.
Major Jason Burgess, the officer-in-charge of the US Army’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1MDTF), said after the drill that the joint live firing underscored the strong partnership of both armies.
“We train together side by side. Fires and artillery are the future of a conflict. I think today is a great example of how we build those ties and become effective in synchronising should a crisis occur,” Burgess said.
“We look forward to further increasing the amount of training that we will do together,” he added.
