On Basco Island South of Taiwan, U.S. Military Prepares for Conflict With China

Part of largest-ever annual drills with the Philippines focuses on defending strategic Bashi Channel

Photo: Jes Aznar/Getty Images

BASCO, Philippines—On a rocky, windswept island just over 100 miles south of Taiwan, U.S. troops from the Marines and Army ran out of MV-22 Osprey aircraft with weapons, including Javelin and Stinger missile launchers, before setting up camp next to a field of watermelons.

On the opposite side of the island, a Himars rocket launcher was brought ashore on Monday from an amphibious landing craft, a system that could give U.S. forces the ability to target ships up to a few hundred miles away.

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