The Philippine and United States militaries are set to conduct the 2024 Balikatan Exercise in Batanes and Palawan in April and May.
Balikatan spokesperson Col. Michael Logico stated in a press briefing that Batanes is among the locations under consideration for the execution of Balikatan.
He also disclosed plans for maritime exercises west of Palawan and integrated air missile defense exercises in Central Luzon.
“Batanes is one of the locations that we are considering in the execution of Balikatan. We will also be doing maritime exercises west of Palawan and we will also be doing integrated air missile defense exercises in Central Luzon,” he said.
Departing from the usual training areas like Fort Magsaysay and Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB), this year’s Balikatan will expand its reach to key locations across the country, primarily in the north and west.
France and Australia are also expected to participate in Balikatan activities.
Logico emphasized the inclusion of other Philippine agencies in this year’s Balikatan, such as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police.
More participants will also be invited for cyberdefense and information warfare exercises.
“In this Balikatan, we are also going for more inter-agency collaboration. So in previous exercises, it was just purely military to military. Now, we are also going to involve other agencies in this exercise, primarily the PCG, PNP, and other invited participants for the cyberdefense and information exercises,” Logico added.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla provided details on the schedule of activities for the 39th iteration of the Balikatan Exercise, which will be held within the third week of April to the first week of May.
“The schedules include a command and control exercise or the C2X, humanitarian civic assistance projects and engagements, and a series of field training events,” Padilla said.
The Balikatan Exercise, an annual joint military training exercise between the Philippines and the United States, aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen the two countries’ defense capabilities in responding to various security challenges.
