Philippines, U.S. & NATO Military Prepare for Deployments to Batanes Near Taiwan (Feb. 17, 2024)

The 39th iteration of the joint military exercises between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US IndoPacific Command is scheduled to take place in April, and was discussed by AFP on January 30. It is urgently being evaluated as one of the potential locations for the war games, along the northern extremity of the archipelago, in the province of Batanes. Every year, Balikatan is held in the Philippines, a former colony that the United States has long partnered with in the area for defense accords. The goal of the exercises is to improve security relations, and they often follow both countries' current geopolitical positions. In the previous iteration, which took place on disputed maritime region between China and the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, there were live fire drills. A record 17,600 soldiers participated in the drills from the previous year, with several hundred of them arriving from Australia. under addition to Australia, the French navy has also declared its participation, and negotiations on Japan's engagement are still under progress. Taiwan and the Philippines rank among the top countries in the region to get US military training. The superpower invested roughly $22 million and $29.2 million USD in their respective nations' defense programs in 2021.