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WESTERN PHILIPPINE SEA — Members of Destroyer Squadron 7 and Task Force Ashland, composed of the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) and embarked Marines from I Marine Expeditionary Force, have completed the Multilateral Maritime Event portion of Exercise Balikatan 2026, concluding May 1.
DESRON 7 staff embarked aboard Ashland served as the MME Task Group for maritime forces that included Australia, Japan, and Canada, building on regular high-end Maritime Cooperative Activities to expand multilateral cooperation and reinforce a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Training across the event covered live-fire gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, medical evacuation, replenishment-at-sea operations, and deck landing qualifications for rotary-wing aircraft to enhance interoperability and operational readiness among participating forces.
During the at-sea phase, ships and aircraft executed a series of drills across the South China Sea: a group sail on April 28 featuring Philippine Coast Guard Parola-class patrol vessel BRP Cape San Agustin (MRRV 4408), U.S. Coast Guard Legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Murasame-class destroyer JS Ikazuchi (DD 107), and Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156); a gunnery exercise on April 25 in which USS Ashland fired a Mark 38 25mm machine gun system at a remotely operated target controlled by Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339); flight operations on April 26 involving an MH-60R Seahawk from HMAS Toowoomba landing on Ashland; and a casualty evacuation drill on April 27 with a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ShinMaywa US-2 aircraft from Air Rescue Squadron 71 coordinating alongside Ashland.
“Each year, Balikatan evolves with the growing demands of the maritime environment,” said Capt. John Baggett, commodore, DESRON 7. “This year was no different. The strength of our partnerships throughout the region was on full display as 11 ships, 8 aircraft and several thousand Sailors, Marines and Coastguardsmen from around the Pacific stood shoulder-to-shoulder, increasing our lethality, expanding our interoperability and working together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
Philippine Navy Lt.j.g. Emmanual Leron, who served as a liaison naval officer aboard Ashland during the evolution, underscored the value of sailing alongside allies and partners. “Participating in this exercise is very important because it builds trust and confidence with our partners and allied nations. Although we do it individually, how we approach conducting these kinds of exercises together builds synergy and partnership, and we get to know more about each other,” said Leron. “We want to maintain security and stability, and it shows that all these allies and partner nations have the shared values, interests, and responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The MME emphasized sustained multilateral operations at sea. “It was a really exciting opportunity to embark on [Ashland] and experience the different ways that the United States Navy operates, as well as working alongside the Marines to see the capabilities that they bring, increasing my understanding and furthering our interoperability in the region,” said Lt(N) Harrison Irvine, a liaison naval officer from the Royal Canadian Navy embarked aboard Ashland. “Being able to cooperate here with countries like the Philippines, Japan, Australia, and the United States to increase our interoperability and support a freer and more open Indo-Pacific region is a key interest of the Royal Canadian Navy and the government of Canada.”
Ashland sailed with USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757); Philippine Navy landing platform dock BRP Tarlac (LD601), Miguel Malvar-class guided-missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG6), Jose Rizal-class guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FFG15), and Philippine Coast Guard Multi-Role Response Vessel Cape San Augustin (MMRV 4408); Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182), Murasame-class destroyer JS Ikazuchi (DD 107) and Osumi-class tank-landing ship JS Shimokita (LST 4002); Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFG 339); and Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFG 156).
The Tagalog phrase “Balikatan” means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” reflecting the spirit of the exercise and the close friendship between the United States and the Philippines. The 2026 iteration, described as the largest to date, demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the U.S.-Philippine Alliance.
As the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of assigned ships in the region. U.S. 7th Fleet routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners to help preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.
