Philippine and US forces, together with Australian and New Zealand troops, conducted counter-landing drills on Monday on the shores of Palawan island, which faces the South China Sea. The exercise involved repelling a simulated enemy assault using live fire against designated targets and intercepting threats from unmanned craft and mock enemy boats.
Balikatan Exercises Showcase Allied Readiness
The drills were part of the annual Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder,” exercises, which this year feature the largest number of participating countries to date. The maneuvers focus on coastal defense and interoperability among allied forces to protect territorial waters.
Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner highlighted the strategic importance of Palawan, noting its proximity to the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the Spratly Islands that Manila considers within its exclusive economic zone. “We are defending our exclusive economic zone, where we get our resources, food, and energy. So it’s really very important that we defend this territory of the Philippines,” Brawner told reporters.
Enhanced Use of Unmanned Systems
Brawner emphasized that this year’s counter-landing exercise differs from previous iterations by its heavy reliance on unmanned systems, including drones, alongside systems such as HIMARS. China has previously criticized such joint military exercises, claiming they escalate regional tensions.
Manila and Beijing have been engaged in a series of maritime confrontations in the South China Sea in recent years. China claims almost the entire sea, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated those claims.
Expanding Participation and New Capabilities
This year’s Balikatan, running from April 20 to May 8, includes more than 17,000 troops, with about 10,000 from the United States. Another phase of the drills will take place in northern Luzon, the Philippines’ largest island, closest to Taiwan. For the first time, Japanese combat troops will participate, firing Type 88 missiles during a maritime strike exercise.
Japan has strengthened defense engagement with Manila after signing a reciprocal access agreement in 2024, allowing military deployments on each other’s territory. The Philippines also welcomed Japan’s decision to scrap restrictions on overseas arms sales, enabling exports of warships, missiles, and other weapons.
Washington stated that the scale of the drills underscores its defense commitments to the region, even as it remains engaged in the Middle East.
