Philippine, U.S. forces kick off most expansive Balikatan exercise to date

Photo By Lance Cpl. Roger Annoh | Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Capt. Murata Emiko, left, a nurse with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, U.S. Air Force Maj. Lindsey T. Colgan, center, a registered dietitian with the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, and Philippine Army Sgt. Gilbert Concepcion, an infantryman with 304th Community Defense Center, medically screen Rachelle Santos during Exercise Balikatan 25 at the Pulong Sampaloc Barangay Hall, Dona Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan, April 23, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the armed forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force and demonstrate our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Roger- Junior Annoh)  

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES

04.12.2026

Courtesy Story

Exercise Balikatan       

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military will conduct the 41st iteration of Exercise Balikatan across the Philippine archipelago from April 20 to May 8.

Coinciding 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 will train shoulder-to-shoulder, and an additional 17 nations will participate 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 feature cutting-edge training across the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. Key events include:

• AFP and U.S. forces will sharpen their ability to command and control by establishing parallel exercise joint task forces to navigate a challenging training scenario.
• Field training exercises throughout the Philippines will culminate in capstone events to rehearse warfighting skills in maritime security, coastal defense, and the integration of combined and joint fires.
• Dynamic maritime sustainment and distributed logistics through ship-to-shore equipment offloads and movements. Prior to the start of Balikatan 2026, the AFP and U.S. forces rehearsed equipment and supply offload from maritime prepositioning force shipping at Port of Cagayan de Oro that was transported and distributed across Luzon. Supplies and equipment movement and distribution will continue throughout the exercise in support of the training.
• Ships from four countries will participate in 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 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."

News media representatives interested in additional information or coverage opportunities may contact the exercise Public Affairs Combined Joint Information Bureau media officer at [e-mail]. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

About Balikatan

Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. For complete coverage of Balikatan 2026 activities, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/Balikatan.

• Date Taken: 04.12.2026
• Date Posted: 04.13.2026 03:58
• Story ID: 562548
• Location: QUEZON CITY, PH