Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Friday that next year's Balikatan joint drills with the United States could feature expanded activities and broader multinational participation, as the Philippines and its allies work to strengthen regional defense cooperation amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Troops from the Philippines, United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and France are participating in the Balikatan military exercise in the Philippines, conducting intensive combat training. The exercise is widely understood to be oriented toward strategic competition with China, though participants maintain diplomatic discretion in their public statements.

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII China condemned what it called Japan’s first “offensive missile” test overseas in eight decades, saying Tokyo’s “neo-militarism” and intensified arms race had gained momentum and threatened regional stability. During the “Balikatan 2026” joint drill led by the United States and the Philippines on Wednesday, Japanese forces fired a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile in the Philippines. According to China, it was the first time Japan had launched an “offensive” weapon abroad since World War II.

It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a thunderous close with a volley of missiles fired from sites in the far northern Philippines.

Philippine authorities warned fishing boats and other vessels to avoid waters near Bajo de Masinloc ahead of a Chinese rocket launch scheduled for Monday, May 11. The advisory followed recent maritime restrictions during the Balikatan exercises that displaced some Filipino fishermen in western Luzon.

Philippine and allied forces conducted joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea from April 20 to May 1 as part of the annual Balikatan exercises. The multinational activity deployed 11 vessels and involved ships and aircraft from multiple nations.

Philippines’ Balikatan exercise saw several missile milestones.

Naval forces from the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Australia conducted a live-fire gunnery exercise on April 26 as part of the sea phase of Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) drills, according to the Philippine Navy. A seven-ship task group participated in the exercise, which tested coordinated firing and tactical coordination.

Also, the Balikatan war games are the largest yet, while new findings raise concerns about the Navotas landfill fire

A United States-led zero-trust network platform designed to integrate allied military operations during crises– the INDOPACOM Mission Network (IMN)– was tested for the first time during the recently concluded Balikatan exercises, according to a top US commander. The IMN linked forces from the US, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Canada in a series ... The post New INDOPACOM Mission Network links allies during Balikatan appeared first on Naval News .

'This is how we prevail in the Pacific': US, allies train to repel amphibious assault The U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division brought several new weapons to this year's Balikatan exercise.