SAN ANTONIO -US and Philippine troops fired a salvo of rockets at a warship representing an enemy vessel in the disputed South China Sea on Wednesday, in the final exercise of the allies’ largest-ever military drills. It was the first time the countries had conducted a joint live-fire exercise in the hotly contested waters, which China claims almost entirely. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who has sought stronger defence ties with the United States, sat in an observation tower with US and Philippine officials watching the event north of Manila. “No Hollywood effects this morning, this is old fashioned training,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nick Mannweiler, a US Marine Corps public affairs officer. The live-fire drill kicked off with the US HIMARS precision rocket system launching a series of rounds at a decommissioned Philippine Navy corvette anchored about 22 kilometres (14 miles) off the coast. The objective was to sink the decades-old ship, which represented an enemy vessel approaching the Philippine shore. That was followed by artillery units lined up along a grassy field firing rockets at floating drums 10 kilometres offshore.
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