The annual joint military exercise between the Philippines and the United States, Balikatan, will venture beyond the territorial waters of the Philippines for the first time since its inception, Balikatan’s executive agent, Col. Michael Logico, announced in a press conference.
According to Logico, activities will now extend beyond 12 nautical miles off the west coast of Palawan, marking a departure from previous exercises confined within this limit.
“In previous exercises, we’ve been limited to just 12 nautical miles, now we are encouraging or we are venturing outwards beyond that,” he said.
He also explained that the area beyond 12 nautical miles falls within international waters, providing an opportunity for diverse maritime exercises.
These exercises will include division tactics, search and rescue operations, vehicle boarding, search, and seizure exercises, gunnery exercises, deck landing qualifications, and well deck operations.
Participants, including units from the Philippine Navy, US Navy, French Navy, and the Philippine Coast Guard, will navigate from Point A to Point B in the West Philippine Sea.
This expansion underscores the commitment of the Philippine forces to strengthening defense capabilities and fostering alliances in the region.
“The message that we want to send is that we are serious about defending our territory and we have allies. That’s basically it and the alliance is still going strong,” he said
Balikatan 2024, scheduled for April and May, will involve approximately 16,000 troops, including around 11,000 from the US and 5,000 from the Philippines.
14 countries will also participate as observers, highlighting the exercise’s regional significance and collaborative nature.
