As part of their yearly joint drills, the United States and the Philippines fired air defense missiles during a live fire exercise on April 25 at a naval installation north of Manila.
The drills are intended to boost air defense around the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
“We are absolutely committed to going at the pace and the desires of partners, allies in the region, but also to make sure that we are prepared in order to provide ready forces as necessary.” Major General Brian Gibson said.
The drills on Tuesday are part of a roughly three-week annual bilateral exercise between Manila and the United States.
This year's event is the largest yet, with nearly 17,000 troops taking part.
