Manila: Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, have commenced their annual military exercises on Monday amidst the ongoing Middle East conflict. The war games are strategically positioned to take place in the north of the Philippines, facing the Taiwan Strait, and in a province adjacent to the disputed South China Sea.

According to TRTworld.com, the Japanese military is contributing 1,400 personnel to the drills, bringing along a Type 88 cruise missile to target and sink a ship off the coast of northern Paoay. The extensive 19-day exercise, known as Balikatan or "Shoulder to Shoulder", involves more than 17,000 soldiers, airmen, and sailors from the US and the Philippines, along with contingents from Australia, New Zealand, France, and Canada.

US exercise spokesman Colonel Robert Bunn emphasized that the drills underscore "our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." Despite the ongoing Middle East conflict involving the US, Bunn assured that American troop levels for the exercises would remain unaffected.

The Balikatan exercises occur at a time when the ceasefire between Iran, the United States, and Israel is nearing its end, following a two-week halt in hostilities. The conflict has led to a global energy crisis, significantly impacting energy-dependent nations like the Philippines. Additionally, the drills are being conducted as China intensifies its military activities around Taiwan. Last November, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warned that "a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming, into the conflict."

The exercises will also test integrated air and missile defense systems, including technologies designed to counter drone threats. Japan has deployed a tank landing ship, a destroyer, and a helicopter destroyer, while the US will incorporate a cutter and a dock landing ship to join forces with Philippine and Canadian frigates.