Philippine military drill draws more allies amid concerns over potential regional conflict

This year’s Kamandag exercise involves troops from the Philippines, the US, Japan, Australia, the UK and South Korea, along with observers

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Top Philippine and US Marine officers take part in the opening ceremony of the Kamandag 2024 military exercise at Fort Bonifacio in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:00pm, 16 Oct 2024

The Philippines and the United States have kicked off an annual military exercise involving more allies this year amid growing concerns over a potential conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.

Around 2,351 troops are taking part in the drills named Kamandag – an acronym in Filipino for “cooperation of the warriors of the sea” – which began on Tuesday and will run until October 25.

Marines from the Philippines and the United States are leading the drills, which will also involve troops from Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and South Korea. This year’s exercise marked the involvement of British troops and observers from France, Thailand and Indonesia for the first time.

“Kamandag serves as a testament to the enduring and ironclad alliance our nation shares [with its allies]. We will enhance our interoperability, strengthen our collective defence and build personal friendships,” Colonel Stuart W. Glenn, the US commanding officer of the Marine Rotational Force Southeast Asia, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Through our efforts, we reaffirm our mutual commitment to regional security as we face the ever-evolving security environment that threatens a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Glenn added.

The start of the Kamandag came one day after China launched blockade drills, called The Joint Sword-2024B, involving land and sea strikes in the north, south and east of Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait.