In an open field in Laur town in Nueva Ecija, personnel of the Philippine Army (PA) and the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) fired shot after shot.

Using their respective howitzers, they fired at a target 9 kilometers away from the launch area.

But all of this is only a simulation—part of the two armies’ field artillery live fire exercise under phase one of Salaknib 2024.

Salaknib, which means shield in Ilocano, is an annual Army-to-Army exercise geared towards strengthening the interoperability of Filipino and American troops and enhancing their capabilities against external threats in a spectrum of military operations.

“What you saw under the net and on the pieces is exactly why we’re here—to build the partnership between ourselves and the Filipino army. We started weeks ago with some classes and courses to discuss the different particularities of the two systems. What you saw was the culmination of that event,” Lt. Col. Matt Cahill, battalion commander of the USARPAC’s 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, told reporters in Nueva Ecija on Friday.

“The exchanges that transpired a while back are a result of a very long preparation—classroom instructions, SMEEs. After that, they put to test what they have learned,” said Lt. Col. Michael Yves Rayman, battalion commander of the Philippine Army’s 5th Field Artillery, Army Artillery Regiment.

“When we combine forces with our ally, we know what to do in times of security challenges,” he added.

The Philippine Army used its ATMOS 155mm howitzers, which have a range of 34 to 42 kilometers, depending on the munitions.

Being a self-propelled system, the guns “can provide instantaneous indirect fires that can complement other fire support” during combined arms and joint operations, according to the PA.

Filipino troops also used their 105mm howitzers, lightweight towed weapons which can be used for direct and indirect fire.

The USARPAC, meanwhile, fired its M119 Howitzer, a lightweight 105mm howitzer which can be easily airlifted by helicopter or airdropped by parachute. It has a range of about 11 kilometers.

American troops also used their M777 howitzer during the drills. This is a towed 155mm artillery piece in the howitzer class.

Highly portable by land, sea and air, the system can strike over extended distances, regardless of terrain and obstacles.

Field artillery personnel from both armies worked hand in hand to maneuver and fire the howitzers.

“We had young soldiers and officers from the Filipino army working in various jobs under our net, and we turned right around and walked over and got the chance to shoot on the ATMOS system, where, I have to be honest, a lot of our guys were very excited to get after. It was a great event,” Cahill said.

Among the US Army personnel who tried their hands on the Philippine Army’s weapon systems is Filipino-American Staff Sergeant Aaron Reyes.

This is Reyes’ first time to participate in the Salaknib exercise in the Philippines since joining the USARPAC in 2019.

“Nasubukan din nilang gamitin ang equipment natin, at the same time, kami rin nagamit ang equipment nila, at nakapagshare ng kanya-kanyang expertise para mas mapalawak natin ang knowledge sa trabaho natin,” Reyes said.

“Ito po ang first time kong makabalik ng Philippines with the US Army. Malaking karangalan sa akin makabalik dito at makapagtrain kasama ng ating mga kababayan,” he continued.

For Philippine and US Army officials, interoperability among the soldiers is crucial, and this is further enhanced by holding joint drills, where both armies also learn from each other.

“One of the things we’re doing is the combined jungle operations training course with the Philippine Army. We know the Philippine Army runs a very extensive course, so there’s lessons to be learned there. How to operate in a jungle—that’s an unforgiving environment, so we want to learn from our Filipino counterparts on how they operate here in th the island of Luzon and elsewhere. It’s a great course to build that partnership,” Cahill noted.

“We also learned a lot from our American counterparts. The US Army brought a lot of new equipment and introduced new trainings to learn how to use those equipment and learn how to operationalize those capabilities that are new to us,” Rayman added.

Around 3,500 soldiers—1,800 from the Philippine Army and 1,700 from the US Army—trained side by side in the first phase of the Salaknib drills.

It is a prelude to the Balikatan exercise, which formally opened on April 22 and will run until May 10. With over 16,770 participants expected, this year’s Balikatan will be the largest since the first staging in 1991.

The second phase of the Salaknib drills, meanwhile, is scheduled in June.