The annual Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines, the United States, and partner countries are expected to be the largest yet, expanding in both scope and intensity, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday, March 24.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the April-to-May drills will involve more troops and a broader range of activities, from disaster response and noncombatant evacuation operations to cyber defense and space-related capabilities.
“When you say biggest, it’s not just the number of troops but the number of activities that we’re doing,” Brawner told reporters on the sidelines of a Stratbase ADR forum in Makati City, adding that the exercises would also be the biggest in terms of “intensity.”
He said this year’s iteration will introduce more complex scenarios, including emerging domains such as cyber operations and space-related defense, reflecting evolving security challenges.
“We saw in the war in Ukraine and Russia, and in Iran versus the US and Israel, the importance of cyber defense,” Brawner said.
“Before the United States attacked, for example, Venezuela and Iran, one of the first steps they took was to destroy their adversary’s networks through cyber warfare,” he added.
Balikatan, traditionally a bilateral exercise between the Philippines and the United States, has expanded in recent years to include other partner nations amid heightened security concerns, particularly in the West Philippine Sea. More than 500 joint military engagements between the two allies have been lined up for 2026, including Balikatan.
Among this year’s participants is Japan, with forces from the Japan Self-Defense Forces expected to join the drills, although Brawner declined to provide details on their deployment.
Brawner added that resources for the exercises, including fuel, had already been allocated last year, ensuring that all planned activities would proceed despite rising global oil prices.
