US and Filipino forces end war drills that tested their endurance in brutal heat and shifty weather

0
2K

U.S. troopers prepare to board U.S. Army CH-47s at Paredes Air Station at Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte province as it carries U.S. and Philippine troops during a joint military exercise in northern Philippines on May 6, 2024. Hundreds of American and Filipino troops concluded Monday June 10, 2024 a new combat exercise in the northern Philippines which tested their endurance in more than a week of brutal heat and volatile weather and braced them to respond to any threat in tropical jungles and on scattered islands, two U.S. and Philippine generals said. 

 Hundreds of American and Filipino troops concluded Monday a new combat exercise in the northern Philippines that tested their endurance in more than a week of brutal heat and volatile weather and braced them to respond to any threat in tropical jungles and on scattered islands, two U.S. and Philippine generals said.

The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any possible confrontation over Taiwan and other Asian flash points. The move has dovetailed with Philippine efforts to shore up its territorial defenses amid escalating disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.

The large-scale battle drills, which have been held in Hawaii in recent years under the U.S. Army’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, have been introduced in the Philippines this year. There is also a version in Alaska. The exercises allow the U.S. Army, its allies and friendly forces to train in extreme conditions “where they are most likely to operate from archipelagos, jungles and heat in the tropics to high-altitude and extreme cold in the Arctic,” said Maj. Adan Cazares, a public affairs officer of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division.

AfriPrime App link:  FREE to download...

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

The June 1-10 warfighting exercise began with an air assault on mock enemy forces to allow the deployment of U.S. and Filipino soldiers who secured an area, which served as a staging ground before a major offensive. When their communication lines for supplies were threatened, top commanders decided to shift to a defensive assault and repelled the enemy attempt and successfully launched the offensive.

Key aspects of the mock battle, including the planning, deployments, logistical preparations and contingency readiness, were reviewed by military assessors for combat efficiency.

The combat exercises, Cazares said, were integrated in annual U.S.-Philippine army joint exercises called Salaknib for the first time this year. About 1,500 U.S. and Filipino soldiers participated in the new battle drills staged in a hinterland in Fort Magsaysay, a sprawling Philippine army camp in an agricultural region known for its scorching weather. The temperature this year had been exacerbated by the El Nino, an occasional warming of the Pacific that shifts global weather patterns.

"The terrain is without question some of the most difficult that our soldiers have ever had the experience to move into. The heat on a daily basis was well over 95 degrees (Fahrenheit; 35 degrees Celsius) and it challenged us from a sustainable perspective,” Maj Gen. Marcus Evans, commander of the U.S. Army’s Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division, told The Associated Press in an online interview from the battle training site.

Coordinating artillery and aerial fire and maneuvers “on a very challenging piece of terrain and, really, unforgiving temperatures, were all things that added to the overall training value,” Evans said. He added that American pilots also had to adjust to the region’s unpredictable weather.

Philippine army Maj. Gen. Andrew de Lara Costelo said the combat drills were designed to allow U.S. and Philippine forces and potentially other allies to operate seamlessly in future contingencies.

“This fosters interoperability and shared tactics, techniques and procedures.” Costelo told the AP.

The war exercises were staged after the conclusion of two larger back-to-back exercises earlier this year between U.S. and Philippine forces, the Salaknib and the Balikatan — Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder — which involved more than 16,000 U.S. and Philippine military personnel in their largest combat maneuvers that involved live-fire drills in and near the disputed South China Sea. Several countries sent military observers.

China has vehemently opposed the combat exercises and increased deployments of American forces to Asia, including in the Philippines, saying such military presence was endangering regional stability and was designed to contain Beijing. The Philippine military says the military drills didn't target any country and served to deter aggression.

Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended his decision to allow a U.S. military presence in more Philippine military camps under a 2014 defense pact, saying it was vital to his country’s territorial defense.

China had warned that the increased U.S. military presence would “drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife.”

AfriPrime App link:  FREE to download...

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

Sponsor
Zoeken
Sponsor
Categorieën
Read More
Food
巴黎世家襪套鞋推薦|台灣官網價格解析&SPEED TRAINER滿天星現貨
在時尚圈中,巴黎世家(Balenciaga) 一直是潮流與高端設計的代名詞。對於許多潮人來說,不論是巴黎世家經典的 襪套鞋(SPEED TRAINER),還是近年火熱的老爹鞋 Triple...
By itanpmkujztc 2025-08-27 05:28:51 0 524
Other
What You Should Know Before Booking a Guaranteed Pass Course in Manchester
Booking a guaranteed pass driving course in Manchester can be a convenient option if you’re...
By bridgewaydigital 2024-10-28 09:53:26 0 2K
Home
Fluoroelastomers Market Outlook and In-Depth Study of Top Key Players: Insights by Fact MR
The global fluoroelastomers market is valued at US$ 1.8 billion in 2023 and is predicted to reach...
By akshayg 2024-09-10 13:02:19 0 2K
Other
Global Fabric Reinforcement Rubber Diaphragm Market Growth (Status and Outlook) 2024-2031
Fabric Reinforcement Rubber Diaphragm Market Analysis 2024-2031 The Global Fabric Reinforcement...
By robinyoung 2023-12-07 11:44:42 0 3K
Health
North America Prostate Cancer Diagnostics Market : Surging Demand to Propel Growth by 2029
North America Prostate Cancer Diagnostics Market market document plays very essential role...
By kavyab 2023-06-22 13:36:48 0 4K
Sponsor
google-site-verification: google037b30823fc02426.html