PH, US mock assaults ‘take back’ beach facing South China Sea

Video by Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net

SAN ANTONIO, Philippines – Hundreds of US and Philippine marines launched mock assaults on a beach facing the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) on Tuesday in Zambales province.

The exercise, which is part of a territorial defense scenario, comes amid China’s bolder activities in the disputed sea.

Zambales is near the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal in the South China Sea, an area within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but is already under Beijing’s control.

Only recently Chinese coastguardsmen drove away Filipino fishermen from the shoal, a traditional fishing ground, using water cannon. Same instances have also been reported in the past.

About 350 members of the Philippine Marines and 400 US Marines participated in the amphibious landing demonstration witnessed by top defense officials including Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang and commanders of the major services in the Naval Education and Training Command here.

“This is a territorial defense-based scenario where aggressive forces had taken some terrain and we were going to take it back,” said Brigadier General Christopher Mahoney, US assistant director for the Balikatan.

The supposed scenario: A government had a strained relation with a fictitious neighboring country of Calabanya that led to aggressive military action and invasion by Calabanyan forces in Luzon.

The operation was supported by 21 amphibious assault vehicles, four UH1 Cobras, two Hueys and two AV8 Harriers which provided simulated close air support. The AAVs were launched from USS Green Bay, an amphibious ship.

About 11,000 US and Filipino soldiers are participating in the annual war games that will be held for 10 days. This is also the biggest Balikatan war games in 15 years.

This year, the war games will focus on maritime security.

Both countries have earlier dismissed that the war games were directed to any other country, particularly China.

“Where there is contention we don’t escalate the problem. This is an exercise testing the capability of both forces and we are not looking at other things,” said Lieutenant Colonel Dorotheo Jose Jalandoni, chief of staff for the Balikatan exercises.

“We know that eventually that the core competency of the AFP will be territorial defense and that’s where we are transitioning,” he also said.

Jalandoni also said the Philippines would also acquire AAVs in the future.

“We will acquire AAVs and this exercise is a good measure. Looking at it when it arrives we are prepared already,” he said. AC