LAUR, PHILIPPINES - APRIL 26: US Army troops fire a M777 Howitzer during a live fire exercise as part of US-Philippines army-to-army joint drills on April 26, 2024 in Laur, Nueva Ecija province, Philippines. The Philippines and the United States initiated their largest Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises, involving 16,000 troops, with drills extending beyond the Philippines' territorial sea into the contentious South China Sea, directly opposing China's broad claims. The exercises also include drills in the Philippines' northern Cagayan province, near Taiwan. These war games follow a significant trilateral summit in Washington involving the US, Japan, and the Philippines, where President Joe Biden reiterated US defense commitments in the event of a South China Sea conflict. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)