US-Philippines Balikatan exercises this year to be 'largest-ever'

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A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 (HMLA-369) lands on the USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) ahead of Balikatan 22 on Mar. 17, 2022. The Miguel Keith, a Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Mobile Base Ship, is a highly flexible platform that provides logistics movement from sea to shore supporting a broad range of military operations.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Kallahan Morris

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States will kick off the largest-ever joint military drills in the archipelago nation next week, US officials said Tuesday, showing off their strong defence ties in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness.

 

Nearly 9,000 Filipino and American soldiers will take part in the 12-day war games on the main island of Luzon, which are usually an annual affair but were cancelled or curbed during the pandemic.

 

The exercises, which start March 28, will cover among other things maritime security, live-fire training, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the US embassy said in a statement.

 

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/03/23/2169365/us-philippines-balikatan-exercises-year-be-largest-ever

 

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