Overview

• The 2025 Balikatan drills will feature 9,000 US troops and 5,000 Filipino troops, with additional participation from Australia and observers from Japan, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
• For the first time, the NMESIS mobile coastal anti-ship missile system will be deployed, showcasing advanced defense capabilities.
• The drills will take place in strategically significant areas, including Palawan and Northern Luzon, near Taiwan and the South China Sea.
• Philippine Brigadier-General Michael Logico described the exercises as a 'full battle test' and a rehearsal for national defense.
• U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the 'ironclad' U.S. commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, emphasizing enhanced military cooperation.