Balikatan
Coverage of Balikatan in the Nexus archive.
- The Next Challenge Facing the US-Philippine Alliance, and How They Plan to Overcome It
This year's Balikatan exercise is more closely aligned with the Taiwan Strait, indicating a focus on potential future conflict over the island. The US-Philippine Alliance is addressing this challenge as part of its strategic orientation.
- Why the largest-ever US-Philippine drill, and Japan’s role in it, is making China uneasy
The largest-ever US-Philippine military drill, Balikatan, expanded in scale and scope this year, with Japan's participation, raising concerns in China about heightened regional instability. Chinese experts warn the annual exercise, perceived as targeting China, could exacerbate tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
- Japan’s combat role in Philippines war games signals shift in regional strategy
Japan is sending over 1,000 combat troops to participate in April's Balikatan exercises with the Philippines and U.S., marking a significant shift towards a more networked, multi-layered security structure in the South China Sea. This expansion reflects growing regional concerns about China's grey zone tactics and represents the evolution of the exercise from small-scale bilateral training to large-scale conflict simulations involving multiple countries.