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News: Japan will deploy combat units to participate in the Balikatan exercises for the first time, marking a historic shift in its security engagement with Southeast Asia.
About Balikatan Combat Exercise
- It is the largest bilateral military exercise conducted between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S.A.
- It is also known as “shoulder-to-shoulder,” an exercise reflecting the spirit of the exercise and symbolizing the strong alliance between the Philippines and the United States.
- Frequency: It is held annually.
- Aim: It is designed to strengthen regional security through combined operations.
- First Edition: The first Balikatan Exercises took place in 2001.
- The 2026 edition is the 41st iteration of the exercise.
- Duration: It will start from 20th April to 8th May 2026.
- Participating nations: More than 17,000 soldiers from seven participating nations will be taking part in the exercise.
- The troops will come from the Philippines, U.S.A, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand.
- This would be the first time since World War II that Japanese combat troops will be on Philippine soil.
- Also for the first time, Japan will fire a Type 88 ground-to-surface missile during the drills.
- Activities conducted:
- The drills will cover land, sea, air and cyberspace domains.
- The drills typically involve a wide range of activities, including maritime security, amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response.
