Overview
- The exercise ran through April and May and finished on May 8 with more than 17,000 personnel from the United States, the Philippines and partners including first-time participants Canada and New Zealand and Japan as a full participant.
- Training emphasized high-end combat operations such as long-range strike rehearsals, integrated air and missile defence, live-fire coastal sinkings, HIMARS integration and cyber and logistics drills.
- The Philippines validated the simulated integration of the Indian-origin BrahMos coastal missile into sensor and command networks, though no live missiles were fired during the exercise.
- Australia recorded its largest-ever contribution to Balikatan and achieved ADF milestones including a combined Anzac call sign in Combat Team Jackal and participation by the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Toowoomba.
- China publicly warned the participating countries and increased naval and air patrols near contested features such as Scarborough Shoal, a development that highlights the drills' role as a regional signal and will likely shape future patrol and diplomatic activity.