Virgilio Lorenzo Jr

PH, US forces begin planning for Balikatan 2026

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Philippine and US military officials will immediately start planning for the 41st iteration of the Balikatan exercises to be held next year, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said.This year’s annual joint military exercise between Manila and Washington officially closed on Friday, May 9.“Today, we are forging not only stronger armed forces, but a more secure world. As we look ahead, may the success of Balikatan 40-2025 serve as a foundation for enhanced collaboration, sustained engagement, and greater inclusivity in future exercises, promoting peace, prosperity, and stability in our region and beyond,” Brawner said in his speech during the Balikatan closing ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.For three weeks, 14,000 Filipino and American troops participated in a series of joint ground, air, and naval drills aimed at enhancing the interoperability of both forces.“Beyond the technical achievements, however, the most valuable outcome has been the enhanced mutual trust, deeper understanding, and renewed commitment to shared security goals,” Brawner said.“Balikatan is not merely a series of military exercises. It is a demonstration of enduring partnerships and collaborative resolve. It embodies our collective readiness to act in unison, underscoring that our greatest strength lies in unity. Moreover, this exercise reaffirms our dedication to peace, stability, and resilience across the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.“We also acknowledge the positive effects of our humanitarian initiatives, supporting education, delivering medical care, and fostering local development. Although these contributions may not make headlines, they are indeed vital to building a stable and inclusive community,” he further said.The Filipino and US forces also trained with Australia and Japan. Moreover, personnel from 18 countries participated as international observers.“As we get ready to close this 40th iteration of Exercise Balikatan, we mark not just the end of another successful training evolution, but the continuation of a proud tradition. For more than four decades, Balikatan has stood as a testament to the strength of the US and the Philippine alliance, rooted in shared values and beliefs, shaped by history, and vital to the future of a prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific,” US 1st Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm said.“This year, we reaffirmed a critical truth. Our alliances and partnerships are a strategic advantage in any scenario, be it conflict, crisis, or humanitarian response,” he continued. “Together with the AFP, we put the D in deterrence, defense, and don&#x27;t mess with us.” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., for his part, said he was impressed with the “deterrent effect” of the exercise and joked about how the supposed target, the decommissioned BRP Miguel Malvar, sank even before the maritime strike in Zambales began.“I&#x27;m very impressed with the deterrent effect of these exercises because even before the live fire exercise, Miguel Malvar wouldn&#x27;t have wanted to have felt the combined efforts of our forces and took a leave beforehand.” Teodoro quipped.The secretary noted that the Philippines must “build strong fences” and be resilient amid “forces of different persuasions who do not understand the rule of law and whose perceptions of good faith may differ from ours.”“The best way to make ourselves more resilient is to build strong fences, and these exercises together with and amongst our partners and future partners are part of those fence posts that we need to build in order to deter any malign actor from interfering with what international law provides each and every one of us,” Teodoro said.He also pointed out that next year’s drills will not merely be an exercise in execution but will “go deep down into the assumptions” on why Philippine and US forces are training shoulder-to-shoulder.“This being the 40th iteration which culminated in the full battle exercise, what the President, Secretary Ano and I would want to see is not only the execution of next year&#x27;s exercises, but more importantly the choice of exercises, what you are going to be doing and where you are going to be doing them, what terrain you are going to operate in, what environments you are going to operate in, how do you meld with the civilians, and how the civil infrastructure and supply routes work… in order to see [that] what you plan for is aligned with how the leadership determines [where] we want the armed forces to go to and what we need to be preparing for,” Teodoro explained.<div> </div>

For three weeks, 14,000 Filipino and American troops participated in a series of joint ground, air, and naval drills aimed at enhancing the interoperability of both forces.

For three weeks, 14,000 Filipino and American troops participated in a series of joint ground, air, and naval drills aimed at enhancing the interoperability of both forces.