MANILA, Philippines — Despite the US' ongoing war with Iran, this year’s Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises with the US military will be the biggest ever yet, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.
“No, no…,” AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the Stratbase forum on the Japan-PH diplomatic relations.
“We received the confirmation from Admiral (Samuel) Paparo himself. He said that this will still be the biggest Balikatan exercise despite the war going on in the Middle East. He said we will not be affected. Our planned activities will continue and the scale and scope are still the same,” Brawner said.
Balikatan is the most important annual, large-scale joint military drill between the AFP and the US military which often included allies.
In 2025, over 14,000 troops showcased high-level combat training, including the introduction of anti-ship missile systems (NMESIS) and coastal defense strategies.
Scheduled this April in Luzon, the 40th iteration of the Baliktan will involve approximately 8,000 personnel, including the first-time participation of 1,000 Japanese troops - a first movement of Imperial military forces since World War II.
“So aside from having more participants this year, we will see the participation of Japan which will expand the scope of our defensive operations because we not only have the United States and Australia in the preparation of our defense of the entire archipelago and our common areas as well,” Brawner said.
