When Japan quietly deployed members of its elite airborne brigade for parachute drills in the Philippines’ northernmost province facing Taiwan earlier this month, the exercise was not vigorously publicised by officials on either side.

The drills on Batan Island in the Philippines’ Batanes were part of the Kamandag countrywide mission, jointly hosted by Filipino and US Marine Corps until Wednesday. They involve some 2,000 troops and are designed to improve readiness, interoperability and intelligence-sharing.

But that quiet Batanes drop could mark a louder trend if considered with four other military exercises, most of them American-led, occurring almost simultaneously in Asia – one that analysts say reflects a new phase in US deterrence and its first island chain defence policy.

Tokyo and Washington are also conducting Resolute Dragon 2026 in Kyushu and Okinawa until Tuesday, involving 9,000 troops and focusing on defending Japan’s southwestern islands.

Further east, about 10,000 personnel are taking part in Valiant Shield 2026 until Wednesday across Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and surrounding waters, marking the first exercise deployment of the US military’s Typhon mid-range missile system.

In Hawaii, more than 25,000 personnel from 31 nations are joining the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise, which runs until July 31, and aims to strengthen maritime cooperation and preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.