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Philippines and the U.S. begin two-week joint military drills
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MANILA, 12 April, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the Philippines and the U.S. will start their annual joint military exercise dubbed the "Balikatan”, the army chief in Manila said.
This year's drills will only involve 1,700 troops, 700 from the U.S. and 1,000 from the Southeast Asian nation, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
"Some portions of the exercises will be virtual but we also have minimal physical contact. There will also be actual field training exercises but not as big as those done in the previous years," he said.
The drills will be officially open on Monday at the AFP's main headquarters in the capital, said the official.
However, unlike in previous opening ceremonies, he said Monday's event will be closed to the public and the media as part of the safety precautions due to the pandemic and the rest of the drills will also be closed for coverage.
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