US and allies flex military muscle on China’s doorstep with multi-front drills

When Japan quietly deployed members of its elite airborne brigade for parachute drills in the Philippines’ northernmost province facing Taiwan earlier this month, the exercise was not vigorously publicised by officials on either side. The drills on Batan Island in the Philippines’ Batanes were part of the Kamandag countrywide mission, jointly hosted by Filipino and US Marine Corps until Wednesday. They involve some 2,000 troops and are designed to improve readiness, interoperability and...

By Jeoffrey Maitem