US, Philippine Soldiers Train Ahead of Bigger Military Drills
This article is for subscribers only.
The Philippines said around 3,500 Filipino and American soldiers have started their annual joint training on its main Luzon island, a day after the allied nations held drills with Japan and Australia in the South China Sea.
As many as 1,800 Filipino soldiers and 1,700 U.S. servicemen will train side by side from Monday to April 21, aimed at “strengthening the interoperability” of the two countries’ ground forces, the Philippine Army said in a statement. This will be followed by a bigger exercise called Balikatan — a Filipino word that translates to shoulder-to-shoulder — at the end of the month.