More than 7,000 soldiers from the United States and Philippine armies are taking part in this year’s Salaknib drill, a joint annual exercise that started on the north of Luzon island on Monday.
The exercise aims to “enhance combat readiness and interoperability between the two armies, focusing on a wide spectrum of military operations”, according to the US Army.
This year, about 420 personnel from Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force joined the drill for the first time, along with soldiers from Australia and New Zealand.
It is the first time that combat-ready Japanese troops have deployed in the Philippines since Japan’s occupation of the country during World War II.
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