IRIA News

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More than 14,000 Filipino and American soldiers kicked off the annual “Balikatan” military exercises on April 21, 2025, in what is being described as a “full battle test” for the longtime treaty allies.

This year’s drills, which will run from April 21 to May 9, represent one of the largest and most comprehensive iterations of the joint military training since the inception of the exercises between the two nations. The military drills come at a time when tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region.

Critical timing and location

Roughly 9,000 troops from the United States and 5,000 from the Philippines are participating in the exercises, with additional support from smaller contingents from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. Sixteen other nations are participating as observers, indicating growing international interest in security developments in the Indo-Pacific region.

Lieutenant General James Glynn, the U.S. exercise director, emphasized the significance of this year’s drills. “The full battle tests are intended to take into consideration all of the regional security challenges that we face today, beginning in the South China Sea,” Glynn said during a media briefing.

He further highlighted that the exercises would test capabilities in scenarios ranging from missile threat defense and maritime invasion prevention to the live sinking of a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship in a simulated maritime strike.

Dubbed as the “Super Bowl” of exercises in the region, Balikatan 2025 is being conducted across various Philippine provinces, including Palawan and Northern Luzon, locations chosen for their strategic relevance to flashpoints like the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

The inclusion of multi-domain warfare scenarios in this year’s exercise, including cyber and space-based components, reflects the evolution of modern military planning in response to a rapidly changing regional threat landscape.

“We will assess our readiness in all domains—air, land, sea, cyber, information, and the emerging frontier of space—through comprehensive exercises that integrate tactical precision with strategic foresight,” said Philippine Army Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., chief of staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“Over the decades, this exercise has adeptly responded to evolving threats, expanding its scope and enhancing its significance, demonstrating that true partnerships not only endure, but continuously thrive,” Gen. Brawner Jr added.

EXERCISE BALIKATAN | PH-US Troops Conduct Avenger SMEE
Philippine and United States Army personnel participating in Exercise Balikatan 40-2025 came together at the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command (NETDC) in Zambales, for a joint formation and activity briefing… pic.twitter.com/Jxs5Wy39Nu

— Armed Forces of the Philippines (@TeamAFP) April 22, 2025

Advanced weapon systems, air defense capablities at display

Balikatan 2025 features the deployment and demonstration of advanced military systems, highlighting the growing sophistication of US-Philippine joint operations. Among the standout technologies are the U.S. Marine Corps’ NMESIS (Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System) anti-ship missile platform and the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), both of which have seen proven effectiveness in recent conflicts.

This year marks the first deployment of NMESIS in the Philippines, with the system strategically positioned in the Luzon Strait — a vital maritime chokepoint between the northern Philippines and Taiwan.

For the first time, the exercises will also include an integrated air and missile defense simulation. Additional high-end systems include the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) and the US Army’s Mid-Range Capability Typhon missile system, further showcasing the evolving interoperability and technological edge of the two allies.

Despite China’s swift opposition, both Filipino and American military leaders maintain that Balikatan is a defensive and preparatory exercise meant to ensure stability and regional security. Major General Francisco Lorenzo, the exercise director for the Philippines, reiterated that the activities are not aimed at any specific country.

“The Balikatan exercise may probably help deter the conflict in Taiwan. But for our concern, it is only for deterrence of any possible coercion or invasion of our country,” Lorenzo said.

China’s reaction

China has issued a sharp warning to the Philippines and the U.S. “The Taiwan question is purely a matter of China’s internal affairs and is the core of China’s core interests. China firmly opposes any country using the Taiwan question as a pretext to strengthen military deployments in the region, provoke tensions and confrontations, and undermine regional peace and stability,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.

In response to Manila’s emphasis on the defensive nature, Guo said that “The Philippines, in collusion with external countries, has been conducting large-scale military exercises, introducing and deploying strategic and tactical weapons, undermining regional strategic stability, and jeopardizing the region’s economic growth prospects.”

He went further, warning, “Those who play with fire will inevitably burn themselves,” a statement directed at both Manila and Washington amid escalating friction over Taiwan and maritime rights in the South China Sea.

Testing of new missile systems

The joint live-fire drills will also involve the testing of newly acquired missile systems by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a move that signals the country’s continuing efforts to modernize its military amid growing concerns over territorial integrity and sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (the portion of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone).

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to personally observe portions of the exercise, including simulations focused on integrated air and missile defense. Marcos’s presence at the drills underscores the Philippine government’s commitment to enhancing defense ties with the U.S., its oldest ally in the Asia-Pacific region under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

AFP, U.S. Forces Launch Balikatan 40-25 with Full-Scale Defense Drill to Strengthen Interoperability

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Armed Forces officially launched Exercise Balikatan 40-25 today here, with an opening ceremony that marked the… pic.twitter.com/DLdKIo68Si

— Armed Forces of the Philippines (@TeamAFP) April 21, 2025

General Glynn also reaffirmed the strength and readiness of this bilateral alliance, stating, “We will demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defense treaty in existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so.”

China, which claims nearly the entire South China Sea as its sovereign territory, has frequently clashed with the Philippines in recent years. Numerous maritime incidents involving Chinese and Filipino coast guards, as well as harassment of Filipino fishermen, have kept the dispute front and center in regional politics.

These activities have raised the stakes for both countries and their partners, particularly as the U.S. reasserts its influence in the region through stronger military cooperation and expanded basing access under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

With escalating friction between Beijing and Washington, as well as growing calls within the Philippines for a more robust response to external coercion, this year’s exercises are seen by analysts not just as a test of interoperability but as a message of unified resolve.

As regional tensions continue to rise, the outcomes of Balikatan 2025 will likely influence military strategy, diplomatic posture, and geopolitical alignments across the Indo-Pacific in the months and years ahead.