In the biggest-ever "Balikatan" military exercise, Filipino and American troops are set to train in defending an island province that faces Taiwan from potential aggressors.
Local officials from the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) have taken measures and briefed executives to prevent panic among residents in Batanes, the province located just 148.16 kilometers (80 nautical miles) from Taiwan's southernmost tip.
The planned drills will involve an air assault, utilizing helicopters to simulate the recapture of a key terrain from a hypothetical enemy.
"There’s a scenario where the island gets occupied by a fictitious country and the training troops will take it back," Nolcom deputy commander for training Lt. Col. Loel Egos said.
Furthermore, soldiers will simulate the transport of the advanced High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), which was supplied by the United States to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, using a landing craft at sea, pending favorable weather conditions.
Despite concerns from residents due to ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan, local officials, including Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco, have expressed support for the Balikatan exercise being conducted in the province.
"Our residents got worried because of the tensions between China and Taiwan. But if there was none, we wouldn’t be so concerned," the governor said.
Out of the 111 planned activities in Northern Luzon, only three are scheduled in Batanes.
This year's Balikatan, taking place from April 11 to 28, comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region due to China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea and against Taiwan.
Cayco is also actively seeking investments to build seaports and airports in Batanes, considering the current regional security situation.
