US, Japan, Philippines hold major military drills amid Iran war

Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, have begun annual military exercises on Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war.

The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the country facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea.

The Japanese military, which is contributing 1,400 personnel, will use a Type 88 cruise missile to sink a target ship off northern Paoay.

More than 17,000 soldiers, airmen and sailors are taking part in the 19-day Balikatan, or "Shoulder to Shoulder", exercises, including contingents from Australia, New Zealand, France and Canada.

US exercise spokesman Colonel Robert Bunn said that the drills demonstrate "our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Bunn added that US troop levels would be unaffected by the ongoing Middle East war his country is waging.

Regional flashpoints

Balikatan comes as Iran and the United States, along with Israel, are just days away from the end of the two-week ceasefire that halted the war.

The conflict has sparked a global energy crisis that left the import-dependent Philippines reeling.

The drills also come as Beijing ramps up military pressure around Taiwan.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said last November that "a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming, into the conflict".

Integrated air and missile defence systems will also be put to the test, including technology for countering drones.

Japan is deploying a tank landing ship, a destroyer, and a helicopter destroyer, while the US will use a cutter and a dock landing ship to join Philippine and Canadian frigates.