Philippines, US Plan Military Drills Near Disputed Sea, Taiwan
- Balikatan exercises to include maritime, cybersecurity drills
- Drills set for third week of April to first week of May
The Philippines and US plan to hold their flagship military drills next month in locations near Taiwan and the South China Sea as tensions escalate in the disputed waters.
The annual exercises will be held from the third week of April to the first week of May, with the Australian Defense Force and the French Navy set to participate, Philippine military officials said in a briefing on Tuesday. Japanese troops were also invited to join, said Colonel Michael Logico, who is among the planners of the drills called Balikatan, which means shoulder-to-shoulder.