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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Exercise Balikatan: AFP, US to stage counter-landing live fire drill in Ilocos Norte on May 4

Exercise Balikatan: AFP, US to stage counter-landing live fire drill in Ilocos Norte on May 4

Fisherfolk get aid amid no-sail zone

Published May 3, 2026 03:59 pm
A rocket launch from the United States High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) illuminates the shoreline during the Counter-Landing Live Fire Exercise at Apurawan Beach in Aborlan, Palawan on April 27, 2026 as part of Exercise Balikatan. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Rickert, 7th Infantry Division, US Army)
A rocket launch from the United States High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) illuminates the shoreline during the Counter-Landing Live Fire Exercise at Apurawan Beach in Aborlan, Palawan on April 27, 2026 as part of Exercise Balikatan. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Rickert, 7th Infantry Division, US Army)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and United States military will hold a counter-landing live fire exercise at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Ilocos Norte on Monday, May 4, as part of this year’s Exercise Balikatan.
The AFP said the exercise would simulate the defense of Northern Luzon coastlines against a mock amphibious invasion, testing the ability of allied forces to detect, intercept, and repel hostile landing forces.
The exercise will feature a mix of air, land, and maritime assets including newly integrated missile capabilities of the AFP and highly mobile rocket artillery and air defense systems from the US.
“It demonstrates coordinated use of combined arms capabilities to engage targets in littoral zones,” the AFP said.
The drill forms part of the Balikatan, an annual joint military training between Manila and Washington aimed at improving interoperability and strengthening defense capabilities.
Ahead of the drill, local authorities enforced a no-sail zone in parts of Ilocos Norte to ensure civilian safety due to increased movement of military assets.
The Department of National Defense (DND) on Saturday, May 2, distributed income aid to 734 fisherfolk residents from Paoay, Burgos, and Laoag City who were affected by the no-sail zone.
“This is our obligation to you. This assistance is an obligation because it is the government's job to take care of all Filipinos,” said DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. during a dialogue with coastal communities.
The DND said the recipients received family food packs and financial aid equivalent to four days of income.
The no-sail restriction was set to last until May 6 and Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos thanked national agencies for the prompt release of assistance.
The DND said the aid formed part of efforts to balance national defense requirements with the welfare of affected communities. It also cited the need to protect the country’s exclusive economic zone and coastal resources.
NMESIS, HIMARS in Batanes
In Batanes, a province facing Taiwan, the AFP and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) conducted a rehearsal deployment of the NMESIS (Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System) anti-ship missile system and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations (MKTSO) to test its use in remote areas.
The NMESIS is an unmanned, land-based anti-ship missile system designed for shoreline defense and sea denial, and can strike targets up to 185 kilometers away. It is typically used to engage hostile vessels, enhance maritime domain awareness, and reinforce the protection of key sea lanes.
Meanwhile, the HIMARS is a long-range and multiple-launch rocket system mounted on a five-ton truck.
During the MKTSO, a core component of Exercise Balikatan, AFP personnel secured the deployment site while only simulated firing activities using NMESIS and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) were conducted.

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Balikatan Armed Forces of the Philippines United States Ilocos Norte counter-landing live-fire
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