Balikatan Military Exercise: The Philippines and the US have started this year’s Balikatan military exercise with a record number of countries watching. A total of 19 nations are observing the war games this year, which began on Monday and will continue until May 9. This is the highest number of observers ever, and it shows that more countries now support the Philippines’ position on regional security, especially in the Indo-Pacific area.
Around 17,000 soldiers are taking part in these exercises. Along with the Philippines and the US, Japan and Australia are joining as main participants. For the first time, Japan’s Self Defence Forces are participating fully, after only watching in past years. This comes after the two countries signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement last year, which made their defence ties stronger than ever before.
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Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, head of public affairs for the Philippine military, said, “The countries involved in the drills as part of the international observers programme would enhance transparency and cooperation with allies and partners, strengthening regional solidarity” SCMP reported.
The military added that the list of observer countries now includes Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Last year, there were only 14 observer countries.
Balikatan Military Exercise: Growing Support
Experts believe this increase in participants shows how important the Philippines has become in defence partnerships. Chester Cabalza, who leads the International Development and Security Cooperation think tank in Manila, said, “The respectable command and leadership of the Philippines in defence partnership in the region” is now clear to everyone. He said the country’s central position in the Indo-Pacific makes it a key player in regional safety plans.
He also explained that these countries share “the same aspirations for a rules-based order and interoperability” and want to see how the Philippines is preparing for possible threats in the area. He said the drills focus on a “full-battle scenario,” which shows how serious countries are about safety.
Matteo Piasentini, a lecturer and geopolitical expert at the University of the Philippines, said more countries are joining because they care about keeping the region stable. “The Philippines wants more actors to have a stake in its security, which is instrumental in mitigating its fears of isolation and abandonment,” he said.
Joshua Espena, another international relations lecturer, agreed. He said the Philippines is now seen as a leader in setting the defence agenda in the region. “How else can these countries understand the strategic environment [but] by learning how the Philippines intends to up the ante of its operational art to prepare for the worst?” he said.
Analysts said the large number of countries taking part this year also shows the success of recent defence deals between the Philippines and partners like Japan, France, and New Zealand. These agreements are now turning into real military teamwork, especially during exercises like Balikatan.
Cabalza explained the importance of these deals by saying, “The mutual agreements signify that the Philippines’ counterparts they could be of good help to Manila, and at the same time, the Philippines is important to their economic trajectories and defence postures.”
Concerns about China
Even though Balikatan is taking place near the South China Sea, analysts do not expect China to react strongly. There have been many clashes in the past between Chinese and Philippine ships, but experts think China may not directly respond to the exercises this time. Piasentini mentioned that any new incidents might be more connected to the Philippines’ upcoming midterm elections than to Balikatan.
Still, Cabalza pointed out that China has been reacting to US-Philippine defence ties for years. “China has mounted big counter defence and countless counter paramilitary postures to the Philippines’ military exercises with the US,” he said. “Manila’s Balikatan exercises spans four decades now, when China was not yet a major power”
This year’s Balikatan is also adding new activities. For the first time, there will be a full simulation of air and missile defence. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to attend the event. The US military will also show off its advanced weapons, including the NMESIS anti-ship missile system. These weapons will be used near the Luzon Strait, an important area between the Philippines and Taiwan that many countries are watching closely.
