PH, US troops hold Balikatan 'full-scale battle' test

Around 17,000 military personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and United States Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) will train together for three weeks as part of this year's Balikatan Exercise featuring a "full-scale battle" scenario, which was formally launched on Monday, April 21, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG

AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the 40th iteration of the Balikatan drills, which translates to "shoulder to shoulder," will focus on enhancing the two armed forces' interoperability to respond to various threats, which will help strengthen their land, air, sea, and cyber domain capabilities.

A major concept in this year's exercise is the conduct of a full-battle test to simulate their capability to operate together in case of a conflict, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) or in Taiwan close to Batanes island where China continues to assert its presence.

Combined military doctrines and procedures will be incorporated during the simulated battles, and observers from around 20 nations will witness the exercises set to conclude on May 9.