June 26, Kathmandu – Earlier this month, Japan quietly deployed members of its elite Airborne Brigade to the northernmost province of the Philippines for a parachute exercise, which officials from both sides downplayed publicly. This exercise, conducted in Batanes province, was part of ‘Kamanandag,’ a nationwide mission jointly organized by the Philippine and US Marines, which concluded last Wednesday. Approximately 2,000 troops participated, aiming to enhance war preparedness, interoperability, and intelligence exchange. However, when this formal military deployment in Batanes is viewed alongside four other nearly simultaneous exercises across Asia, it signals a significant strategic shift.
Analysts suggest these exercises reflect a new phase in US resistance strategies and its ‘First Island Chain’ defense policy. Alongside this evolve other notable military scenarios. First is Resolute Dragon 2026. Tokyo and Washington are conducting this exercise with 9,000 troops until next Tuesday across Kyushu and Okinawa, focusing on defending Japan’s southwestern islands. Second is Valiant Shield 2026, involving about 10,000 troops until last Wednesday around Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and adjacent waters. This exercise included the first deployment training of the US military’s ‘Typhoon’ medium-range missile system. Third is Rim of the Pacific, a biennial exercise hosted in Hawaii with over 25,000 troops from 31 nations participating until July 31. Its objective is to reinforce maritime cooperation and safeguard a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific.’ Fourth is Taiwan’s internal drill. This week, Taiwan conducted an ‘Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise’ in Taoyuan, testing rapid deployment capabilities with 100,000 troops.
US strategy and expert analyses differ on whether the concurrence of these multiple exercises is a deliberate strategic plan or mere coincidence. According to Hunter Marston, director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute, recent operations clearly prioritize Washington’s ‘First Island Chain’ policy. This chain refers to a series of islands along the eastern edge of the East and South China Seas, stretching from the Japanese archipelago and the Ryukyu Islands southwards through Taiwan and the Philippines to the Greater Sunda Islands. Beijing seeks to assert dominance over these waters through its aggressive maritime strategies.
Marston told This Week in Asia, “For the US Pacific Command, American commitment to the security of First Island Chain allies is paramount.” Preventing enemy maritime and aerial control over strategic sea lanes has long been a central tenet of US security objectives in Asia. The 2026 National Defense Strategy also underscores resistance in the Pacific as a priority.
