Three weeks of joint military exercises, based on how territorial defense and troop deployment strategies would work together, took place after officers from the Philippines Army and the U.S. Army Pacific officially launched the exercises Wednesday. In the first phase of this year’s Exercise Salaknib, about 5,000 soldiers from both sides will take part to strengthen combat readiness and promote military cooperation, the Philippine Army announced Monday. Later in the year, the second phase of the exercise is scheduled.
Live fire and training for combined large-scale maneuvers, warfighting exercises, and ongoing drills in this region. The aim of these efforts is to increase interoperability between the two armies and build up their individual and joint capacity to respond to changing regional security threats.
The visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is expected to visit Manila later this week for meetings with Philippine leaders and military officials, is indicative of the strong defense ties between the two nations. It is the first visit by a U.S. Cabinet official since Donald Trump took office in January.
Exercise Salaknib is a tool of the broader annual military cooperation program between the Philippines and the United States and complements the larger Balikatan exercises. Rising tensions in the South China Sea play against the backdrop of the Philippine defense of its maritime sovereignty in the face of repeated challenges from China. Making it clear that national interests in the disputed waters is a top priority, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. further strengthens Manila’s defense partnership with Washington.
The Philippines also received an exemption to a 90-day U.S. funding freeze, although only allowed to receive $336 million to modernize its security forces — a strong signal of continued U.S. commitment to its longstanding ally in the Indo-Pacific region.
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