Philippine and US forces begin their largest Balikatan drills yet

CAMP AGUINALDO, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military will hold the 41st Exercise Balikatan across the Philippine archipelago from April 20 to May 8, aligning with the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty. More than 17,000 personnel from the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand are set to participate, with an additional 17 nations joining as part of the international observer program.

“Balikatan is the embodiment of our nation’s commitment to a strong and credible defense posture” said Philippine Army Maj. Gen. Francisco F. Lorenzo Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Education and Training Command Commander. “This exercise is a prime opportunity for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to accelerate our modernization and enhance our capabilities as a vanguard of regional peace. Training shoulder-to-shoulder with our oldest ally and our many partners ensures our forces are prepared to face any challenge, together.”

The exercise will span the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. Planners will establish parallel exercise joint task forces to refine command-and-control over a complex training scenario. Field training events around the country will culminate in capstone drills focused on maritime security, coastal defense, and the integration of combined and joint fires.

Sustainment and logistics will be a major feature, with ship-to-shore equipment offloads and movements distributed to support training. Ahead of the start of Balikatan 2026, forces rehearsed equipment and supply offload from maritime prepositioning force shipping at Port of Cagayan de Oro, with materiel transported across Luzon. Movement and distribution of supplies and equipment will continue throughout the exercise.

At sea, ships from four countries will undertake a multi-day multilateral maritime exercise along the west coast of the Philippines, conducting deck landing qualifications, live-fire gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue training.

Humanitarian and civic assistance activities will run in parallel, including engineering and construction projects and community health engagements at five locations across the archipelago to directly benefit Filipino communities and strengthen humanitarian assistance preparedness.

“Our alliance with the Philippines has been a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for 75 years,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman, I Marine Expeditionary Force Commanding General. “Balikatan 2026 is a powerful demonstration of our ironclad commitment to that alliance. By training together with our friends and partners using the most advanced systems, we are not just enhancing our shared capabilities; we are forging the trust and readiness required to secure a prosperous and peaceful future for the region.”