The stage is set for the biggest “Exercise Balikatan” between the militaries of the Philippines and United States beginning Tuesday, April 11.

(File photo: Courtesy of PGS via Liezel Inigo/ Manila Bulletin)

The opening ceremony of the 38^th iteration of the annual war games is scheduled at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

This year’s event will consist of 17,600 military personnel: 5,400 from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and 12,200 from the United States Armed Forces. There would also be at least 111 personnel from the Australian Defence Force who will be “active participants” while the Japan Self-Defence Forces will deploy observers.

“This is officially the largest Balikatan exercise,” said Col. Michael Logico, Balikatan 2023 spokesman and director of the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command’s (ETDC) Joint and Combined Training Center.

The number of participants this year is bigger than the 8,900 joiners last year.

Balikatan, a Filipino term which means “shoulder-to-shoulder” to characterize the spirit of the exercise and represent the alliance of the Philippines and US, will be held until April 28 in various areas in Zambales; Casiguran, Aurora; Antique; Palawan; and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, according to Logico.

Various exercises will be held by the participants to improve their interoperability in the areas of maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire training, urban and aviation operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) preparedness.

Logico said that the AFP and US Armed Forces decided to do exercises outside their “traditional training areas” which is why they will hold a combined joint littoral live-fire exercise on April 26 in the waters off San Antonio, Zambales – the first time it will be conducted at sea and not on land; and a cyber defense exercise which they don’t have in the past iterations of Balikatan.

The AFP and US Armed Forces also broke ground last month for the construction of an 80-square meter and fully furnished multi-purpose hall at Inabasan Elementary School in Brgy. Inabasam, Sibalom, Antique to mark the start of the exercise in the Visayas region. It will be turned over to the community on April 27.

The exercise will kick off just as China concludes its three-day military drill in Taiwan on Monday, April 10, amid Beijing’s escalating tension with Washington. It will also take place shortly after the announcement of the establishment of four additional sites for the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) last week.

But defense and military officials have long stated that the conduct of Balikatan is meant to strengthen the defense posture of the country and fulfill the military obligations of both allied nations, not to antagonize any third party.

Department of National Defense Officer in Charge (DND OIC) Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. had said that large-scale exercises such as Balikatan will be greatly improved if the defense cooperation between the Philippines and US is strengthened.