Balikatan 2026: MRF‑D 26 joins allied forces for maritime security drills on Balabac Island

U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force–Darwin 26 teamed with U.S. Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division, Philippine marines, and Australian soldiers to seize and hold Balabac Airfield during a live‑fire assault on May 3 as part of Exercise Balikatan 2026, showcasing joint and allied interoperability across air, land, and maritime domains.

The operation was set up days earlier with the clandestine insertion of multinational reconnaissance elements, said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Ramsey Crow, a platoon sergeant with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. “Under the cover of darkness, multi-national reconnaissance teams from the Philippine Marine Corps, Royal Australian Army, and Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion inserted onto Balabac Island,” said Crow. “These elite elements reconnoitered key terrain to support maritime security operations and fed the targeting cycle with critical intelligence from deep within the battlespace.” He added that the preparatory actions enabled the assault force to secure the airfield and engage simulated threats with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

Crow noted that Philippine marines with the 61st Philippine Force Reconnaissance Company, Australian soldiers with the 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, and U.S. Marines with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion used the mission to validate concepts for securing maritime key terrain and to directly inform planning.

Air movements began May 2, when Marines of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (reinforced) flew more than 200 miles from Antonio Bautista Air Base to Balabac Airfield, delivering personnel and equipment to set conditions for the raid. That same day, U.S. Army watercraft with the 7th Infantry Division, Multi‑Domain Command – Pacific, conducted a HIMARS Rapid Infiltration to posture long‑range precision‑fires capability in austere maritime terrain ahead of the assault.

On May 3, MV‑22B Osprey aircraft from VMM‑268 inserted the multinational raid force, which moved quickly to secure the airfield and establish a security perimeter, enabling follow‑on actions. With HIMARS already emplaced ashore, the event transitioned to a live‑fire demonstration against simulated maritime targets off the coast, integrating mobility and fires to highlight how U.S. and allied forces can sense, move, and strike across dispersed maritime environments.

Following the exfiltration, the Marine Rotational Force–Darwin 26 commanding officer underscored the broader significance. “The successful conduct of this exercise on Balabac Island perfectly illustrates the unmatched lethality and agility of our joint and combined forces,” said Col. George Flynn, the commanding officer of MRF‑D 26. “By seamlessly integrating U.S. Marine, Army, and Navy assets alongside our Philippine and Australian allies, we proved our collective ability to rapidly secure key terrain, close the kill web, and project power across the maritime domain. This level of joint and combined interoperability is the cornerstone of a strategy that ensures regional peace and prosperity.”

Marine Rotational Force–Darwin 26 is certified as a Special‑Purpose Marine Air‑Ground Task Force for rotational deployments in the South Pacific. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military intended to strengthen the alliance, enhance combined capability, and demonstrate a shared commitment to regional peace and prosperity.