Philippines, US Launch Largest-Ever Balikatan Drills Near Taiwan
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- Balikatan exercises began April 20 and run through May 8, with more than 17,000 troops including about 10,000 US forces — the largest edition yet by number of participating countries.
- Philippine and US forces will for the first time conduct maritime strike drills on Itbayat, the northernmost point of the Philippines and roughly 155 km from Taiwan.
- Australia returned to the drills while Canada, France, New Zealand and Japan joined as active participants for the first time, expanding Manila's security network.
- Romeo Brawner, the Philippine armed forces chief, said the exercises test readiness under 'real-world conditions' across all domains of the archipelago.
- Counter-landing live-fire drills will be staged in Zambales province on the South China Sea, about 230 km from the China-held Scarborough Shoal.
- Newly acquired Philippine BrahMos missiles and Japan's Type 88 anti-ship missile will be featured in a live-fire sinking drill.
- China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned the drills would 'set themselves on fire,' while US Marine Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman said Balikatan had 'no target nation' in mind.
Why it matters: Putting maritime strike drills on Itbayat — 155 km from Taiwan — converts the Philippines' geography into an operational asset for the first time in the Balikatan series, a posture shift visible from both Taipei and Beijing. With BrahMos and Japan's Type 88 anti-ship missiles debuting in a live-fire sinking drill and five allies joining as full participants, the exercise turns Manila's widening partnerships into a concrete signal of readiness in a Taiwan contingency.
