Balikatan 2026: US, AFP and ADF troops stage long-range maritime air assault

ITBAYAT, Philippines — U.S., Philippine and Australian soldiers carried out a joint long-range maritime air assault training mission on Itbayat from April 23 to 25 as part of Exercise Balikatan 2026.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, the Philippine Army’s 54th Infantry “Magilas” Battalion under the 5th Infantry Division, and the Australian Army’s 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, launched the mission from Cagayan North International Airport in Lal-lo. Within hours, they established defensive security positions along the perimeter of Itbayat Airport to protect incoming air assets.

“During air assaults, it starts with posture on an airfield,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Grant Johnson, a platoon leader with 2nd Platoon, “Blackfoot” Company, 2-21st Infantry Regiment. He underscored physical fitness as a key factor, noting his platoon prepared months in advance for humid, austere conditions.

Sgt. David Ouellette, a team leader with B Company, 2-21st Infantry Regiment, said the U.S. element trained alongside Philippine Army soldiers slated to take part in the operation. “We’ve done physical training and small unit training on the squad level,” said Ouellette.

Johnson said three integrated platoons of U.S., Philippine and Australian soldiers enabled a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) mission, delivered via a C-130J Hercules aircraft. After the HIRAIN, ground-force commanders employed the multinational element to set up multiple observation posts near the airfield, extending security coverage across the island.

On April 24, operating in intense mid-day heat, U.S. and Philippine soldiers conducted a unified route reconnaissance through dense foliage to identify optimal locations for additional observation posts. “[The Filipinos] are subject matter experts, and they share their encounters and their training, as well as the environment and how to tackle it,” said Ouellette.

Johnson described the long-range maritime air assault on Itbayat as a demonstration of partnership to project force and strategic strength. “The purpose of this operation is to [collaborate] with our Filipino partners,” said Johnson. “We’ve had that alliance for a long time.”

Exercise planners said the training validated the ability to rapidly move personnel and supplies over water into austere environments. Shortly after landing, the combined force secured its objective, facilitating a joint HIRAIN operation.

Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military, designed to strengthen the alliance, enhance combined capability and demonstrate a commitment to regional peace and prosperity.