The U.S. and Philippine militaries will launch the 2025 Balikatan military exercise in April, marking 40 years of joint drills aimed at strengthening the countries’ defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
Set for April 21 to May 9 on the Philippine islands of Luzon and Palawan, the annual exercise will include U.S. Marines alongside other U.S. military forces and troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP, conducting coordinated military operations across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains, according to 2nd Lt. Ben Gillman, spokesperson for the I Marine Expeditionary Force and 2025 Balikatan exercise.
This year’s exercise will also include a “full battle test” between U.S. and Philippine forces, Gillman said.
“The exercise covers a range of scenarios, from conventional warfare to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, ensuring that both nations are prepared for various contingencies,” Gillman said. “The Full Battle Test is a culmination of past bilateral planning and training that will showcase the modernization efforts of the Philippines and our ability to operate as a team to advance our shared interests.”
The I Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element, 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing will participate in the event.
The Army, Navy and Air Force will join the Marine Corps in the exercise, which will also include troops from Australia and Japan, plus up to 16 other countries invited to the international observer program. While the exact number of troops involved was still being finalized, according to Gillman, 16,000 troops from the Philippines and the U.S. took part in Balikatan 2024.
Events will include integrated air and missile defense exercises between the AFP and the U.S. military; a joint sail between the U.S., Philippine Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force; and counter-landing live-fire training between U.S. and AFP forces.
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Gillman described the Balikatan — Tagalog for “shoulder-to-shoulder” — exercise as a way to improve the collective capability to defend the Philippines, the U.S.’s oldest ally in the Pacific region, and maintain a peaceful Indo-Pacific.
Balikatan will take place near the disputed South China Sea, which has seen a spike in hostilities between Chinese and Philippine vessels in recent years. China has been vocal about its disapproval of Balikatan and has intimated potential retaliation against the Philippines for teaming up with the U.S.
The U.S. pledged $500 million in military aid to the Philippines in June 2024, fortifying its military’s ability to defend the country by providing equipment that might include asymmetric systems like missiles, drones or commercial-style arms, Defense News previously reported.
This year’s Balikatan comes as U.S. Marine Corps has expanded its footprint in the region in recent years to bolster defense capabilities against adversaries like China. The service announced its first littoral regiment in 2021, based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and converted the 12th Marine Regiment out of Okinawa, Japan, to the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment. Another littoral regiment is planned for Guam sometime this year.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
