2 joins Balikatan exercises in South China Sea

Key Points:

• Japan’s US-2 amphibious aircraft made its debut during the Balikatan joint military exercises with the Philippines and the United States, participating in a casualty evacuation drill in the South China Sea near Palawan.
• The US-2, capable of water and runway operations in rough seas, worked alongside the US Navy’s USS Ashland for medical response rehearsals, highlighting its search-and-rescue capabilities.
• This year’s Balikatan is the largest to date, involving about 17,000 troops, including Japan’s first deployment of combat troops to the Philippines since World War II under a new reciprocal access agreement.
• Japan also deployed major assets such as the helicopter destroyer JS Ise, landing ship JS Shimokita, destroyer JS Ikazuchi, C-130H aircraft, and Type 88 missiles, marking its full participation alongside other allied nations like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, and the UK.
• The exercises occur amid regional tensions related to China’s maritime activities, with both the Philippines and Japan playing key roles in the First Island Chain defense strategy, and include advanced US systems focused on maritime security, air defense, and drone warfare.