
Exercise Balikatan is the most prominent annual
military exercise
A military exercise, training exercise, maneuver (manoeuvre), or war game is the employment of military resources in Military education and training, training for military operations. Military exercises are conducted to explore the effects of ...
between the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The
Tagalog word ''balikatan'' means "''shoulder-to-shoulder''".
The exercises have been the cornerstone of Philippines–United States military relations since the closure of U.S. bases in the Philippines.
Australian armed forces have participated in Balikatan exercises annually since 2014.
Australia has a
visiting forces agreement
A visiting forces agreement (VFA) is an agreement between a country and a foreign nation having military forces visiting in that country. Visiting forces agreements are similar in intent to status of forces agreements (SOFAs). A VFA typically c ...
, a type of a
status of forces agreement
A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security ...
, with the Philippines called
Philippines–Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.
[ The Philippines is open to other allied countries participating, provided that they too have a similar forces agreement.][
]
Background
The U.S. acquired the Philippines after the Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
of 1898 and the subsequent Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
. The United States granted the Philippines independence in 1946. In 1951, the governments of the United States and the Philippines signed the Mutual Defense Treaty to "strengthen the fabric of peace" in the Pacific by agreeing to defend each other's territory in the case of external attack. In line with this treaty, the United States maintained until 1992 several military bases in the Philippines, including U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and the Clark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located west of Angeles City, and about northwest of Metro Manila. It was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and, before that, the U.S. Army, from 1903 to 1991. The base cov ...
.
In 1998, following the bases' closure, the Visiting Forces Agreement (Philippines – United States) (VFA) was signed which contained guidelines for the conduct and protection of American troops visiting the Philippines, and stipulated the terms and conditions for the American military to enter Philippine territory. The VFA is a reciprocal agreement in that also outlines the requirements for Philippine troops visiting the United States.
The Visiting Forces Agreement led to the establishment of the Balikatan exercises, as well as a variety of other cooperative measures.
Operations
The Balikatan exercises are designed to maintain and develop the security relationship between the two countries' armed forces through crisis-action planning, through enhanced training to conduct counterterrorism
Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...
operations, and through promoting interoperability of the forces.[Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo]
"PH-US Balikatan Exercises to Start in May"
Armed Forces of the Philippine, April 21, 2014
Over the years the exercises have expanded to include surrounding other countries in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. The training has had a shifting focus. During the U.S.-led " War on Terror" the annual Balikatan Exercises focused on training for counterterrorism missions. There were student protests in the early 2010s over the continued presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines.
These military exercises contribute directly to the Philippine armed forces' efforts to root out Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf (; , ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, was a Jihadist militant and piracy, pirate group that followed the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It was based in and around Jolo and B ...
and Jemaah Islamiyah and bring development to formerly insurgent-held areas, notably Basilan
Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan (; ; ; ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Basilan Island is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago ...
and Jolo
Jolo () is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines and the primary island of the province of Sulu, on which the capital of the same name is situated. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has a populatio ...
. They include combined military training and civil-military operations and humanitarian projects. The International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is the largest in the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
and the third-largest in the world. A Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) was signed in November 2002.
Notable exercise years
Balikatan 2022
The 2022 Balikatan exercise brought together over 5,100 US military personnel and 3,800 Filipino soldiers for training in maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire training, urban operations, aviation operations, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief in various parts of Luzon from March 28 to April 8, 2022. The exercise included a command post exercise that tests the AFP and U.S. forces’ ability to plan, command, and communicate with each other in a simulated environment. This training bolsters the collective security and defensive capabilities of the alliance. Renovation of elementary schools, community health initiatives, and the exchange of advanced emergency rescue and lifesaving techniques were among the collaborative efforts.
The 2022 iteration was considered a return of sorts, since the 2021 iteration was relatively small, and the 2020 iteration had been cancelled altogether after President Rodrigo Duterte temporarily ended the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States in what was seen as an effort to pursue warmer ties with China.
Balikatan 2023
Set against the political backdrop of increasing tensions regarding Taiwan and in the South China Sea, as well as the first year of the Presidency of Bongbong Marcos in the Philippines, the 2023 iteration of the Balikatan exercise was marked by further expansion, with more than 17,600 participants making it the largest Balikatan to that date. It involved four major events - the Command Post Exercise, Cyber Defense Exercise, Field Training Exercise, and Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA). It also included a Sink Exercise (SINKEX) as part of the littoral live fire exercise held in Zambales, where the former BRP Pangasinan (PS-31), a decommissioned Malvar-class corvette, was used as a target ship. The 2023 exercise also marked the first time the M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) platform was used in live-fire exercises, which had not been done in the 2016 and 2022 exercises.
Balikatan 2024
The 2024 iteration of the 39th edition of Balikatan in Batanes
Batanes, officially the Province of Batanes (; Ilocano: ''Probinsia ti Batanes''; , ), is an archipelagic province in the Philippines, administratively part of the Cagayan Valley region. It is the northernmost province in the Philippines, an ...
and Palawan
Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
on April 22 to May 10, including Integrated Air and Missile Defense exercises in Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
, is marked by further expansions with attendance of military observers from 14 countries. “Cope Thunder,” precedes the exercises from April 8 to April 19 according to the United States Indo-Pacific Command
The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region.
It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Lead ...
. Barangay San Rafael, Itbayat under Mayor Sabas de Sagon, is the site of the April 14 to June 6 construction of humanitarian, logistics and disaster relief warehouse at Sitio Kagonongan, a supply depot
Supply depots are a type of military installation used by militaries to store battlefield supplies temporarily on or near the front lines until they can be distributed to military units. Supply depots are responsible for nearly all other types of ...
area at the San Rafael National Food Authority warehouse and an American physician’s assistant station and lodging facilities for American soldiers at Itbayat District Hospital. The exercise included war games and drills in international waters (12 nautical miles, or 22.22 kilometers, off the west coast of Palawan
Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
), including a “group sail” involving the Philippine Navy, US Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, US Coast Guard, and French Navy and the sinking again of a mock enemy ship—the decommissioned BRP Lake Caliraya (AF-81)—in Laoag City.
Balikatan 2025
Japan joined as Full-Fledged Participant.
Foreign participation
See also
; Philippines geostrategy
* Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines
Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P) or Operation Freedom Eagle was part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the global War on Terror. The Operation targeted the various Jihadist terror groups operating in the country. By 2009, abo ...
* Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
* Operation Balikatan (2003)
; Regional geostrategy
* Belt and Road Initiative
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI or B&R), known in China as the One Belt One Road and sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the government of China in 2013 to invest in more t ...
* China containment policy
* China-United States relations
* Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
The Quad is a grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States that is maintained by talks between member countries. The grouping follows the "Tsunami Core Group" and its "new type of diplomacy" developed in response to the 2004 2004 ...
* Malabar (naval exercise)
* List of disputed territories of China
* String of Pearls (Indian Ocean)
The String of Pearls is a geopolitical hypothesis proposed by United States political researchers in 2004. The term refers to the network of Chinese military and commercial facilities and relationships along its sea lines of communication whic ...
* Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
References
External links
Official Facebook page
{{Foreign relations of the Philippines
Military exercises involving the United States
Military alliances involving the Philippines
Military alliances involving the United States
United States military in the Philippines
Philippines–United States relations
21st-century military alliances