Manila, Philippines — Hundreds of American and Philippine troops concluded the battle on Monday a new combat exercise in the northern Philippines, testing their endurance in more than a week of brutal heat and changeable weather, and bracing them to respond to any threat in tropical jungles and on scattered islands, two U.S. and Philippine generals said .
The Biden administration has strengthened a range of things military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in the event of a possible confrontation over Taiwan and other Asian flashpoints. This move was in line with the Philippines’ efforts to strengthen its territorial defense escalating disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The large-scale combat exercises, which have been held in Hawaii in recent years under the US military’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, were introduced in the Philippines this year. There is also a version in Alaska. The exercises will allow the U.S. military, its allies and friendly forces to train in extreme environments “where they are most likely to operate from archipelagos, jungles and heat in the tropics to high altitude and extreme cold in the Arctic,” said Maj. Adan. Cazarez, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division.
The June 1-10 war exercise began with an airstrike on mock enemy forces to allow for the deployment of American and Philippine soldiers securing an area that served as a staging area for a major offensive. When their supply lines of communication were threatened, top commanders decided to launch a defensive attack, repulsed the enemy attempt and successfully launched the offensive.
Key aspects of the mock battle, including planning, deployment, logistical preparations and preparedness for contingencies, were assessed by military evaluators for combat effectiveness.
The combat exercises, Cazarez said, were integrated for the first time this year into the annual joint exercises of the U.S. and Philippine militaries called Salaknib. About 1,500 American and Filipino soldiers took part in the new combat exercises staged in the hinterland of Fort Magsaysay, a sprawling Philippine army camp in an agricultural area known for its scorching weather. The temperature this year had been exacerbated by the El Nino, an episodic warming of the Pacific Ocean that is changing global weather patterns.
“The terrain is without a doubt one of the most difficult terrains our soldiers have ever had to move into. The heat was well above 95 degrees (Fahrenheit; 35 degrees Celsius) daily and it challenged us from a sustainability perspective, Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, commander of the U.S. Army’s Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division, told The Associated Press in an online interview from the combat training site.
Coordinating artillery and air fire and maneuvers “on a very challenging piece of terrain and, really, brutal temperatures, were all things that added to the overall training value,” Evans said. He added that U.S. pilots also had to adapt to the region’s unpredictable weather.
Philippine Army Maj. Gen. Andrew de Lara Costelo said the combat exercises were intended to enable U.S. and Philippine forces and possibly other allies to operate seamlessly in future contingencies.
“This promotes interoperability and shared tactics, techniques and procedures,” Costelo told the AP.
“Working together, we leverage our combined strengths, knowledge and capabilities so that we are prepared for any challenges that may arise,” he said.
The war exercises took place following the conclusion of two larger back-to-back exercises earlier this year between US and Philippine forces, the Salaknib and the Balikatan – Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder – involving more than 16,000 US and Philippine military personnel in their largest combat maneuvers, including live-fire exercises in and near the disputed South China Sea. Several countries sent military observers.
China has strongly opposed the combat exercises and increased deployment of US troops in Asia. also in the Philippines, saying such a military presence threatened regional stability and was intended to contain Beijing. The Philippine military says the military exercises did not target any country and were aimed at deterring aggression.
Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended his decision to allow a U.S. military presence in more Philippine military camps under a 2014 defense pact, saying it was critical to his country’s territorial defense.
China had warned that the increased US military presence would “drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife.”