By Chelsea Robin | 2026-04-24

The Philippines and the United States, joined by Japan and other partners, began annual military exercises on April 20 with live-fire drills and maritime operations set in areas facing the South China Sea. The 19-day Balikatan exercise, now in its 41st year, is the most expansive to date.

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. called Balikatan "readiness made real" at the opening ceremony, saying the exercise shows that nations are stronger when they stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with trust and resolve.

US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman reinforced that message, saying Washington's focus on the Indo-Pacific and its "ironclad commitment" to the Philippines remains unwavering despite challenges elsewhere.

Strategic terrain

More than 17,000 troops are taking part, including about 10,000 from the United States. The drills are being held across northern and western parts of the Philippines, including Luzon and the Batanes Islands near the Taiwan Strait, as well as Zambales facing the South China Sea.

Training will include precision strike and interdiction operations, integrated air and missile defense, and counter-landing live-fire drills. Philippine and US forces are also set to hold maritime strike drills in the country's northernmost areas, underscoring the strategic relevance of locations close to Taiwan and major South China Sea flashpoints.

Preparations preceded the opening ceremony, with Philippine and U.S. forces working "shoulder-to-shoulder" on logistics and community outreach. Military releases noted that teams transported equipment across the archipelago while engineers and health professionals conducted humanitarian projects in local communities.

Strike assets

This year's exercise will also feature more advanced strike assets. The Indian-made BrahMos cruise missile system will take part in Balikatan for the first time through simulation firing during the joint maritime strike phase in Northern Luzon, according to the Philippine News Agency.

US exercise director Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman also confirmed that the Typhon missile system remains in the Philippines and is expected to be incorporated at some level during the exercise.

He said planners are looking at the integration of the BrahMos, Typhon, NMESIS and other systems, which "have the potential to be more powerful when incorporated or applied together."

Japan is joining Balikatan as an active participant for the first time, in a move that also marks the first deployment of Japanese combat forces to Philippine soil since World War II.

Approximately 1,400 personnel are taking part, and Japanese forces will conduct the first-ever launch of a Type 88 missile outside Japanese territory during drills off northern Luzon.

Col. Takeshi Higuchi of Tokyo's joint staff said the drills help "contribute to creating a security environment that tolerates no attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force".

Philippine exercise director Maj. Gen. Francisco Lorenzo Jr. described the drills as "a prime opportunity" to accelerate military modernization and strengthen Manila's role as a vanguard of regional peace while protecting its territory.

Broader network

US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Robert Ewing said the exercise is not only about preparing for contingencies, but also about building lasting partnerships and reinforcing resilient alliance ties.

Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, Balikatan 2026 supports the alliance by modernizing capabilities and improving tactical proficiency.

Beyond live-fire events, the exercise includes multilateral training across cyber and space domains, with ships from four nations conducting anti-submarine and search-and-rescue drills.

The presence of 17 observer nations reflects Manila's widening security network and deepening defense cooperation with Western partners.

Wortman said the "unbreakable bonds" formed during the exercise reinforce an alliance "deeply rooted in shared values," positioning the partnership as a cornerstone of Indo-Pacific stability.