US, PH conclude largest military drills with South China Sea live-fire exercise

The United States and the Philippines concluded their largest-ever military drills, the Balikatan exercises, with a joint live-fire exercise in the South China Sea, firing rockets at a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship.

This exercise marked the first time the two nations conducted a live-fire drill in the South China Sea.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. observed the drill, which aimed to simulate sinking an enemy vessel approaching the Philippine shore.

The drill involved approximately 1,400 marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and coastguards from both countries.

It featured US and Philippine weapon systems including the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Avenger air defense systems, which delivered coordinated fires on the target ship.

The target ship was a World War II-era Philippine Navy corvette, decommissioned in 2021, anchored 12 nautical miles off the coastal waters of San Antonio, Zambales.