Philippines, Australia conduct joint air assault drills near South China Sea
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MANILA – The Philippines and Australia conducted an air assault exercise near the South China Sea, marking the “first major” drills lined up for 2023 between the two armed forces amid rising tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The drills, held in Rizal town in Palawan province, involved 175 troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and two platoons from the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Lieutenant-Colonel Enrico Gil Ileto, chief of public affairs at the Philippine military, said in a statement on Monday.
“The exercise involved coordinated air, land and sea actions to simulate realistic combat scenarios, enhancing the forces’ preparedness and operational readiness,” according to the statement.
Lt-Col Ileto said the venue is near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, which is at the centre of a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.
Armed Forces chief Romeo Brawner Jr told reporters that the drills “are not directed against China”.
The Palawan air assault involved the insertion of ground combat elements launched from HMAS Canberra to the Punta Baja airfield on Sunday, according to the statement.
On Monday, a joint raid was conducted at Tarumpitao airfield by the combined forces of the AFP, ADF and United States Marine Corps.
Meanwhile, the annual humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise, called Pacific Partnership and involving seven nations, will be held from Tuesday through the end of August in the northern Philippine province of La Union.
The activity is the US’ largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise aimed at enhancing preparedness and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific region, the Philippine military said in a separate statement. BLOOMBERG
