Balikatan 2026: U.S. Army, Philippines bolster joint air and missile defense expertise

U.S. Army air defenders joined Philippine and Japanese partners for a series of defensive live- and dry-fire drills focused on counter-unmanned aircraft systems during Balikatan 2026 at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui from April 26 to 29.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 51st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, trained alongside U.S. Marines from the 3rd and 12th Littoral Anti-Air Battalions, the Philippine Air Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The combined team demonstrated and shared tactics and techniques for an Integrated Air and Missile Defense live-fire event.

Troops from 1-51 ADA highlighted several counter-drone systems, including the L3 Harris Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment, known as VAMPIRE; the Integrated Fire Protection Capability (IFPC); and the Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), aiming to strengthen U.S.-Philippine air and missile defense integration.

“This exercise demonstrates the role of landpower in a joint and combined fight,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Collins, commander of 1st Battalion, 51st Air Defense Artillery Regiment. “By bringing rapid, palletized capabilities like VAMPIRE to the shorelines, we provide a decisive, precision-strike capability against small UAS threats, filling a vital role in the air defense network.”

VAMPIRE is a palletized, self-contained platform built primarily for counter–small UAS and precision strikes against surface targets. It carries four 70mm laser-guided rockets with a proximity fuze to increase effectiveness against aerial threats. IFPC, a mobile, ground-based system employing the AIM-9X Sidewinder in a surface-to-air role, targets cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft, and both rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. FS-LIDS provides sensing, tracking, and defeat options for unmanned systems and supplies positive target identification via an electro-optical infrared camera. Used together, the systems create a layered mix of kinetic and non-kinetic defenses.

“This continuous experimentation with FS-LIDS and VAMPIRE demonstrates the unit’s ability to successfully identify and defeat evolving threats,” said U.S. Army Capt. Melanie Rigoni, commander of Bravo Battery, 1-51 ADA. “It ensures that multi-domain formations provide the joint and allied force with cutting-edge protection capabilities.”

Bravo Battery coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Japan Self-Defense Forces on foundational counter-UAS training throughout the event. “Working with the AFP throughout this exercise demonstrates the ironclad commitment of the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific allies, marking a historic milestone for the first year with JSDF participation,” said Rigoni, “This exercise aides in projecting a unified force capable of deterring aggression and maintaining regional stability.”

The 7th Infantry Division/Multi-Domain Command–Pacific is supporting the effort as a theater enabling command, delivering cross-domain options designed to present multiple dilemmas and counter anti-access and area denial networks.

Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine exercise that underscores the alliance, builds a more capable combined force, and signals a shared commitment to regional peace and prosperity.