Collins Chong Yew Keat
This year’s annual Balikatan joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States from April 22 to May 10 was groundbreaking. So was China’s response to it. The exercise areas and the arms deployed to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait hotspots were more complex, prompting a surge in Chinese vessel presence in Manila’s western exclusive economic zone and another violent sea incident over a contested reef – exposing Beijing’s defiance amid the Philippine-U.S. alliance’s show of force. The tit-for-tat shows of force escalated tensions in choppy waters and raised questions about the drill’s deterrent value. The symbolism and messages show how parties are digging in, accepting more risk, and shrinking space for diplomacy.
Expanded and evolved allied show of force
The 39th Balikatan exercise was billed as the “most effective, most ambitious, and most complicated.” It builds on advances made in past iterations editions of the annual drill, which has become a laboratory for testing new defense concepts and weapons in the field. In 2022, U.S.-made Patriot missiles were inserted by land and sea in Cagayan, one of the Philippines’ northernmost provinces opposite Taiwan.
Last year, live-fire demonstrations of Patriot and Avenger missiles occurred in Zambales, a coastal province facing the West Philippine Sea. For the first time, a sinking exercise (SINKEX) was also conducted with a decommissioned corvette as a mock target hit by volleys from land, air, and sea platforms. The event was also held off Zambales, 235 kilometers from Scarborough Shoal, a contested feature between Manila and Beijing.
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