MANILA (Kyodo) -- The Philippines and the United States launched a military drill Monday that includes the latest U.S. anti-ship missile launcher, deployed to the Southeast Asian country for the first time, to strengthen defense ties amid tensions in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

The Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder," exercises will run through May 9 and involve 14,000 troops from the two allies' militaries, down from nearly 17,000 last year. It is the first drill of its kind since U.S. President Donald Trump began his nonconsecutive second term in January.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, said in Manila last month that they will "re-establish deterrence" against Chinese "aggression" in the Indo-Pacific region, agreeing to deploy a U.S. anti-ship missile launcher to the Southeast Asian country for the bilateral drill.

The U.S. military said in a statement issued Thursday that the NMESIS anti-ship missile launcher will be used for simulated fire missions.

"Through the additional deployment of the NMESIS, the full battle test and all domain capabilities training, our combined joint forces is taking our alliance to the next level," U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said at a ceremony on Monday to begin this year's Balikatan, inaugurated in 1991.

A midrange missile system called Typhon, which the United States deployed to the Philippines for the 2024 drill, will also be involved in this year's Balikatan, according to a Philippine military official.

China, which has been intensifying its sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea and conducting provocative activities against Philippine vessels, has repeatedly criticized the missile deployment, saying it fuels regional tension.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have competing territorial claims in the sea.

Some of the Balikatan exercises will take place in the northern part of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, as well as in the northernmost province of Batanes near Taiwan. Philippine military officials said a Taiwan invasion scenario is not part of the drill.

During the drill, the Australian military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces are dispatching around 200 and 150 personnel, respectively, to participate in select Balikatan activities.