Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, have begun annual military exercises on Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war. The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the country facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea. The Japanese military, which is contributing 1,400 personnel, will use a Type 88 cruise missile to sink a target ship off northern Paoay.
