German Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, said on Tuesday his country’s military would join the Balikatan 2024 exercises between the Philippines and the United States. Australia and France will also participate.
“For the first time, we have received an invitation from the Philippine government to participate in Balikatan as an observer,” Pfaffernoschke said during a media event in Legazpi Village, Makati City.
The Philippines and US are said to be eyeing the inclusion of Japan in the exercises.
Pfaffernoschke said, however, that Germany would not be sending military ships, but would only observe.
“We will step up our cooperation with the Philippines in this regard by observing Balikatan 2024,” he said.
He said their acceptance of the invitation might serve as an indicator of maritime security cooperation in the Philippines and other parts of this region.
As for the future, he said, “What’s going on in 2025? I still don’t know, but if we receive an invitation from the Philippines, we will have to carefully consider this.”
Pfaffernoschke assured his country’s political support for the Philippines, but clarified that maritime power was not Germany’s strength.
“We also have limits. We are not a maritime power like France, Australia, Japan, and the US. Germany is a land country. We don’t have the capacity to send 10 or 15 naval ships to the end of the Pacific in order to do what the others can do; who are much closer to the piers like Australia, Japan, the US, and the Philippines themselves,” he said.
He added: “We don’t do that in military terms. However, strength in political support, that’s why we have to very carefully consider what we can do.”
Pfaffernoschke said the current tensions in the South China Sea were concerning.
“It is concerning. As I always state when there is an incident, we are concerned about all these happenings in the South China Sea, and we appeal to all parties, particularly of course China, to [refrain] from these actions,” he said.
“That does not serve the stability and security in this region, which is in the interest of all of us — of China, of the Philippines, of Germany, and other European countries,” he said. “We are concerned, and we appeal to all parties to refrain from violence.”
Balikatan 2024 will commence on 22 April, with troops from the Philippine, US, Australian and French navies conducting multilateral maritime exercises in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Besides Germany, observers to the joint military drills will include Brunei, Canada, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Balikatan executive agent Col. Michael Logico, in a press conference, said the multilateral maritime exercises will demonstrate the country’s combat readiness with its like-minded allies.
“The reason we do exercises is to demonstrate our combat readiness. You do exercises for that primary reason, to maintain a high level of readiness,” Logico said.
“I do not discount the possibility that this also sends a message to our adversaries, to our friends, to our allies, and also to our like-minded partners.”
Logico said the group sail will start from the Palawan coast and will continue within the bounds of the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“The message actually, if you take it into totality, is the main goal of the exercise, which is to demonstrate the strength of our alliance and our willingness to defend our territory,” he said.
During the multilateral maritime exercise, the AFP will utilize two Philippine Navy vessels and one Philippine Coast Guard ship which will sail with a US ship and a French frigate.
Other assets to be utilized are F-22 Raptor aircraft, F-35 Lightnings, Blackhawks, a Super Tucano, AC-130 gunships, Apache helicopters, F-15 aircraft, FA-50s, the BRP Davao del Sur and the BRP Alcaraz, as well as the surface-to-air Python and Derby mobile air defense missiles.
