War games primer: Assets PH, US troops are using in Balikatan 2024
MANILA, Philippines – Balikatan 2024, the latest iteration of the yearly military drills between the Philippines and the United States, has been touted as the “most effective, most ambitious, and most complicated” yet.
Across several areas in Luzon, thousands of Filipino and American soldiers, as well as a hundred or so Australian soldiers, will participate in drills that focus on defending the Philippines.
What does it mean when a military exercise takes on its “most complicated” version?
Lieutenant General William Jurney, commander of the US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific and Balikatan US exercise director, explained it this way: activities this year are designed to both showcase and test how well the two militaries work together. Complex military operations, after all, can’t just be coordinated through something like a group chat.
Interoperability refers to the level of ease in which different units – in this case, the two militaries – can work together. It involves communication between people, equipment, and systems.
Here’s a peek into the assets from both the Philippines and the US that will be playing roles in various exercises during the weeks-long event. The list is not exhaustive, but includes most of the major assets the two militaries are deploying for Balikatan 2024.
(All illustrations by Nico Villarete and Guia Abogado)
Philippines
ASCOD Sabrah
155mm Howitzer
105mm Howitzer
Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm Bo-105 helicopter
BRP Davao del Sur
AugustaWestland helicopter
Amphibious Assault Vehicles
BRP Jose Rizal
Multipurpose Attack Craft-BA486
AW159 Wildcat helicopters
FAIC-M
FA-50PH
AugustaWestland-109 Attack Helicopter
Super Tucano
T129 “Atak” attack helicopters
S76-A Sikorsky helicopter
W-3A SOKOL A helicopter
Hermes 900
S-70i “Black Hawk” combat utility helicopters
Bell 412
C130
C295
NC212i
United States
AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar
USS Somerset
USS Harpers Ferry
CH-53E Super Stallion
Amphibious Combat Vehicle
Landing Craft Air Cushion
P-8A Poseidon
C-130H Hercules
F-16 Fighting Falcon
B-52H Stratofortress
Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
Avenger Air Defense System
CH-47 Chinook
UH-60 Blackhawk
MC-130J Commando II
CV-22 Osprey
– Rappler.com