“Japan plans to deploy 300 elite ground soldiers to the Philippines for this year’s Salaknib military exercise, marking the first time the bilateral US-Philippine drills will include troops from additional partners.”
“Officials and analysts say the move signals an operational shift away from simple bilateral engagements towards tight-knit ‘minilateral’ security coordination among US allies, with a growing focus on remote island defence and contingencies in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.”
“Roughly 5,000 soldiers from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia are set to take part in the 2026 iteration of the annual exercise, according to Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete.”
“The Japanese military has spent decades developing capabilities in amphibious operations, littoral warfare and anti-access or area denial – precisely the competencies its Philippine counterpart has been working to build, according to Vincent Kyle Parada, a former defence analyst for the Philippine Navy.”
“Parada noted that the Philippines’ northernmost Batanes province and Japan’s Nansei island chain occupy strikingly similar strategic positions – both forming part of the so-called first island chain restricting China’s access to the Western Pacific.”