Philippines rehearses Palawan live-fire drills

Philippine and U.S. forces fired live rounds on Palawan on April 27, rehearsing how to stop an amphibious assault on an island facing the South China Sea. (reuters.com) The drill took place at Long Point Beach in Aborlan, Palawan, during Balikatan 2026, the annual “shoulder to shoulder” exercises between Manila and Washington. Australia and New Zealand joined the counter-landing phase. (reuters.com) (pacom.mil) U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said more than 500 service members coordinated fire from missile systems, fighter aircraft, mortars and machine guns against a simulated enemy force. The scenario also used intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance feeds to cue strikes in real time. (pacom.mil) As the mock assault moved toward shore, the defending force used High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, plus Stingers, Javelins and TOW anti-armor missiles. Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said this year’s version relied more heavily on drones than past iterations. (pacom.mil) (reuters.com) Brawner tied the location directly to Manila’s maritime claims, saying Palawan faces the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys, which the Philippines treats as part of its exclusive economic zone. He said the area matters for “resources, food, and energy.” (reuters.com) The Palawan event is one slice of the 41st Balikatan, which runs from April 20 to May 8 and is the largest edition so far. Philippine and U.S. officials have said more than 17,000 troops are taking part across the archipelago. (reuters.com) (pna.gov.ph) Another phase is set for northern Luzon, closer to Taiwan, where Japanese combat troops are scheduled to fire Type 88 missiles in a maritime strike exercise. Reuters reported that role is Japan’s first operational participation in Balikatan. (reuters.com) China has repeatedly criticized the exercises, saying they raise tensions. At a United Nations Security Council meeting on April 27, China’s deputy U.N. ambassador Sun Lei denounced remarks by Japan and the European Union about the South China Sea and accused Tokyo of provocative behavior in the Taiwan Strait. (reuters.com) The diplomatic clash is unfolding as analysts track new Chinese construction at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands. A Channel News Asia commentary by maritime law scholar Lowell Bautista said satellite imagery shows China has resumed large-scale island-building after a yearslong slowdown. (channelnewsasia.com) For Manila, the Palawan rehearsal put the immediate point on the map: beach defense on the South China Sea side, with allied missiles, aircraft and drones already in the loop. (reuters.com) (pacom.mil)