Philippine-U.S. joint military drills kick off in Manila

The annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States opened in Philippine capital on Monday.

Some 9,000 Filipino and U.S. forces, as well as about 80 from Australian Defense Force personnel, are participating in the almost two-week long drills from April 4 to April 15 in the islands of Luzon, Palawan and Panay.

Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, exercise director for the Philippine side of the Balikatan 2016, said during a news conference at Philippine military headquarters that the exercises would capacitate the country's armed forces to "deal with a whole lot of exigencies."

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter will visit the Philippines next week to personally observe the drills.

For the first time, a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a long-range multiple rocket system, will be part of the exercises.

Balikatan is a regularly conducted exercise that focuses on scenario-based combined action planning on territorial defense, disaster relief, civic assistance and tactical-level field training.

Militant group Kilusang Mayo Una denounced the annual exercises, saying "contrary to the propaganda of the U.S. and Philippine governments, Balikatan is not about upholding Philippine sovereignty but about upholding the military might and geopolitical interests of the U.S." Enditem