LAOAG CITY, Philippines — On sandy stretches of Luzon, U.S. and allied forces ran through a wide range of operations: small unmanned boats scouted coastal waters, rocket artillery and mortars pounded simulated landing zones, machine guns swept the surf, and tents full of servers were kept cool by generator-powered air conditioners as troops rehearsed defending against an amphibious assault.
The exercise was part of Balikatan — Tagalog for “shoulder to shoulder” — a long-running, U.S.-led series of drills on the Philippines’ largest island. The 41st edition, which ran for nearly three weeks and wrapped up on Friday, brought together more than 17,000 personnel from the United States, the Philippines, Japan, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to test new systems, tactics and partnerships amid growing regional tensions and rapid technological change.
Gen. Ronald Clark, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, described the drills’ purpose as a layered approach to defense: detect, assess, engage and protect. U.S. officials say that posture is meant to deter aggression and make it harder for an adversary to dominate the region, language echoed in the U.S. National Defense Strategy.
The maneuvers took place close to two of Asia’s most sensitive flash points — Taiwan and the South China Sea — and were intended to demonstrate allied ability to operate along the so-called first island chain. Analysts say trilateral cooperation among the U.S., Japan and the Philippines is central to collective deterrence across those island chokepoints.
China condemned the exercises as destabilizing and dispatched its own naval task force to the waters east of Luzon for live-fire drills in response.
Shifts among partners were a notable feature this year. Philippine military leaders said the force is moving away from a primarily internal-security focus toward protecting sea lines and territorial approaches after recent decreases in insurgent activity. Lt. Gen. Aristotle Gonzalez of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Northern Luzon Command said working with U.S. troops helps Manila develop and employ new capabilities for territorial defense.
Japan participated in a more robust way than in past years: for the first time in decades it sent combat troops to train on Philippine soil rather than only observers. Japanese units fired an anti-ship missile at a decommissioned Philippine corvette, and commanders cited a bilateral agreement that now permits reciprocal training on each other’s territory. For many observers, Japan’s increased operational presence signals a significant postwar shift in its defense posture.
The U.S. Army’s footprint in the Pacific was on display as well. Traditionally a theater dominated by naval and air power, the region has seen more land-based missile systems deployed to complicate adversary operations. Soldiers from the U.S. 25th Infantry Division operated high-mobility rocket systems and other effects intended to control maritime approaches. Commanders argue that recent conflicts have shown how land forces can contribute to sea control and deterrence.
More controversial were some of the weapons and missions practiced. U.S. forces employed long-range precision systems during the drills, and local reporting said a Tomahawk cruise missile was launched from the Philippines using a Typhon launcher; the test used a dummy warhead and impacted on a military range. Beijing has protested the presence and use of systems it sees as threatening the Chinese mainland. Manila has denied having agreed to remove the systems after previous rotations, while some Philippine civic and academic voices warn that hosting such weapons raises the risk of entangling the country in great-power conflict.
Critics say expanding missile deployments can raise escalation risks; supporters counter that such capabilities strengthen deterrence when integrated into defensive concepts. Anna Malindog-Uy, secretary-general of a Philippines–China civic group, urged Manila to explain publicly how these weapons would be used and how civilians would be protected if the country became a target.
Balikatan’s mix of new partners, heavier Japanese involvement and increasingly capable U.S. land forces reflects broader regional realignments. Participants portrayed the exercises as defensive and aimed at strengthening interoperability, while others warned they also deepen military ties that may make smaller states more exposed to rival powers’ responses. For now, the drills underscore how allies are adapting tactics, technologies and relationships to a security environment that many describe as more contested than it has been in decades.