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3w ago

US and Philippines Launch Largest Balikatan Drills with Advanced Weaponry and Multinational Support

The 2025 exercises, featuring 17,000 troops and new air and missile defense systems, emphasize regional deterrence and alliance solidarity in response to China's territorial ambitions.

Philippine Balikatan Exercise Director Major General Francisco Lorenzo, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Romeo Brawner Jr, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Marykay Carlson, U.S. Balikatan Exercise Director Lieutenant General James Glynn, and AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Education, Training and Doctrine Major General Llewillyn S Banaag pose for a picture during the opening ceremony of the annual Philippines-U.S. joint military exercises or Balikatan, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, April 21, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
FILE - Filipino and U.S. soldiers participate during a joint military drill called Salaknib at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on March 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Philippine Balikatan Exercise Director Major General Francisco Lorenzo answers questions from the media beside his counterpart U.S. Balikatan Exercise Director Lieutenant General James Glynn after the opening ceremony of the annual Philippines-U.S. joint military exercises or Balikatan, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, April 21, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Romeo Brawner Jr delivers a message during the opening ceremony of the annual Philippines-U.S. joint military exercises or Balikatan, at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, April 21, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

Overview

  • The 2025 Balikatan drills involve 17,000 troops, including 9,000 US personnel, marking the largest iteration of the annual exercise to date.
  • For the first time, the drills include integrated air and missile defense simulations, attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
  • The US has deployed the NMESIS anti-ship missile system, a new addition aimed at bolstering joint operational readiness in key flashpoints near the South China Sea and Taiwan.
  • Australia and Japan are participating in the exercises, with over a dozen other nations observing, highlighting growing multilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
  • The drills reinforce the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, as Manila continues to modernize its military with US support, including potential F-16 acquisitions and advanced warships.