U.S. and Philippine Marines defeated a simulated force from the South China Sea attempting to land at Palawan’s Apurawan Beach during KAMANDAG’s culminating activity on Tuesday.
F-35B Lightning IIs from the “Vikings” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 225 launched from USS Boxer (LHD-4) — which was sailing in the Sulu Sea during the drill — to strike a notional column of landing craft approaching the beach with GBU-12s, Capt. Brian Tuthill, the director of communication strategy and operations for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, told USNI News.
Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 provided additional aircraft, which deployed attached UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters for gun and rocket fire against the landing force. Both countries’ marine forces also used Artillery, mortars, anti-tank missiles and other crewed weapons. A planned Stinger man portable air defense system launch did not go according to plan due to the target drone crashing, reported Stars and Stripes. With no aerial targets, the Marines successfully engaged a target vessel with the surface-to-air missile.
According to Tuthill, the coastal defenses employed during the drill were set up on Monday within 24 hours of the Marines arriving at Apurawan Beach. Tuthill also noted other activities held in Manila’s South China Sea-facing province, such as an amphibious landing, rocket launcher live-fire and counter-unmanned aerial systems drills with Philippine counterparts in the 3rd Marine Brigade.
The 8th iteration of the KAMANDAG, a Tagalog acronym that translates to “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea,” series of exercises kicked off last week right as the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Rotational Force — Southeast Asia wrapped up humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts for Typhoon Krathon in the Northern Philippines. This year’s exercise includes 2,300 personnel from the Philippines, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. participating in drills in Palawan and Northern Luzon. Personnel from France, Thailand and Indonesia and also observing the exercise.
Philippine media outlet The Daily Inquirer reported that humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities in the country’s northernmost provinces during KAMANDAG were meant to simulate the evacuation of Filipino refugees fleeing a conflict in Taiwan. Compared to the exercise’s other activities, U.S. forces only provided a secondary support role through aviation support and command and control. According to a fact sheet provided by Marine Rotational Force — Southeast Asia, American involvement was meant to “advise and support to increase allied forces ability in HA/DR.” USNI News understands that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force contingent primarily coordinated this specific activity, which included elements from the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade.
KAMANDAG is set to wrap up on Friday, and with it 2024’s series of U.S.-Philippine defense engagements and exercises. From the Philippine Navy’s first-ever anti-ship missile launch at Balikatan in May to the deployment of a mobile ground-based Mk.41 launcher in Luzon, this year saw some of the most complex activities as Washington and Manila deepened their defense relationship amid tensions in the South China Sea.
