Philippine and US Military Leaders Plan to Expand Joint Exercises

In a recent development, the military leaders of the Philippines and the United States have expressed their intent to broaden the scope of their joint military exercises. This decision came after a conversation between General Romeo Brawner Jr., the head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and General CQ Brown, the chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, on February 10th. Their discussion focused on enhancing military modernization, expanding the use of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites, and increasing the scale of joint military drills in the Philippines. General Brown highlighted the significance of improving domain awareness to protect the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The US reaffirmed its commitment to a robust alliance with the Philippines, rooted in common strategic interests and democratic principles. The upcoming ‘Balikatan’ exercises, set to be one of the largest ever, will now encompass air, land, sea, and cyber operations, with participation from other allied countries.