U.S., Philippine forces sink mock enemy warship

U.S. and Philippine armed forces unleashed a volley of missiles on a mock enemy warship in the South China Sea on Wednesday, in a show of military power and a strengthening alliance at a time of rising regional tension.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr watched from a four-storey tower as a high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) fired rockets at a decommissioned navy corvette in the waters just a few miles off its western province of Zambales.
It was the first time the annual U.S.-Philippines “Balikatan” exercises featured live fire drills at sea, at a location just a few hours by boat from one of the world’s most contested maritime features, the Scarborough Shoal, which China has occupied for more than a decade.
Military from both countries have said the exercises across the Philippines, which include sites facing Taiwan, were not targeted at any country.
This year’s war games end on Friday and with 17,000 troops are the biggest edition yet, in a sign of rekindled ties between the defence treaty partners after a period of strain under the previous, anti-U.S. president, Rodrigo Duterte.