US, Philippines Plan Record Military Drills As War Threats Grow

(MENAFN- Live Mint) More than 17,000 military personnel will participate in the biggest-ever joint drills by the Philippines, the US and other nations as they rehearse warfighting skills amid tensions with China and conflicts in the Middle East.

Troops from Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand will also take part in this year's Balikatan -“shoulder-to-shoulder” in Tagalog - exercises running from April 20 to May 8, the US Marine Corps said on Monday.

An additional 17 nations will observe the land, sea, air and cyber drills, which will break the previous record of 16,000 personnel set in 2024. There was no breakdown on how many US troops will join, but last year 9,000 participated from the US with 5,000 personnel from the Philippines.

“Training shoulder-to-shoulder with our oldest ally and our many partners ensures our forces are prepared to face any challenge, together,” Philippine Army Major General Francisco Lorenzo Jr. said in the statement from the US Marines.

The exercises will“rehearse warfighting skills in maritime security, coastal defense, and the integration of combined and joint fires,” according to the statement. The record military turnout comes as conflicts from Ukraine to Iran, along with China's military buildup, lead policymakers to improve their defense preparedness.

The US and Israeli war on Iran continues, with President Donald Trump on Monday beginning a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to pressure Tehran to reach an agreement.

The war games also underscore the Philippines' shift to external defense amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway where Beijing lays expansive claim, including areas Manila says are part of its exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines over the weekend said that Chinese forces fired flares at a coast guard aircraft that was conducting routine monitoring over Mischief Reef and Subi Reef, both of which are located in disputed waters where Beijing has built artificial islands with military infrastructure.

On Monday, Manila said Chinese boats were dumping cyanide in the Second Thomas Shoal, which officials said could compromise the structural integrity of its military outpost there. Beijing called Manila's accusations“neither credible or worth refuting.”

Ships from four countries will participate in a multi-day multilateral maritime exercise along the west coast of the Philippines which faces the South China Sea, according to the US Marines. They will conduct deck-landing qualifications, live-fire gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue training, according to the US Marines.

Japanese troops will participate in combat drills in this year's Balikatan for the first time under Tokyo and Manila's reciprocal access agreement, which facilitates mutual military visits. Japan participated as an observer in previous drills.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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