The largest US-Philippine military drill to date, seen as targeting China, has prompted warnings from Chinese experts about exacerbating regional instability amid heightened Indo-Pacific tensions.
The L3Harris VAMPIRE anti-drone system was evaluated during the Balikatan joint military exercises in the Philippines, highlighting efforts to bolster short-range air defense against growing drone threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a thunderous close with a volley of missiles fired from sites in the far northern Philippines. The Tomahawk...
The recently concluded Balikatan joint drills have marked a shift in the Philippines’ defence strategy alongside Japan, with Tokyo offering the transfer of warships to its Southeast Asian ally, while a top Filipino official for the first time voiced “serious concern” over islands claimed by Beijing and Tokyo. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr on Wednesday said Manila now considered the uninhabited Diaoyu Islands, which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands, a security flashpoint in the...
When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to...
China condemned what it called Japan’s first “offensive missile” test overseas in eight decades, saying Tokyo’s “neo-militarism” and intensified arms race had gained momentum and threatened regional stability. During the “Balikatan 2026” joint drill led by the United States and the Philippines on Wednesday, Japanese forces fired a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile in the Philippines. According to China, it was the first time Japan had launched an “offensive” weapon abroad since World War II. The...
The US Army on Tuesday shot a Tomahawk missile from its Typhon Mid-Range Capability launcher system in the Philippines during a military exercise, marking the first time it has fired such a weapon since the system’s arrival in the country two years ago, which drew a rebuke from China. Built by Lockheed Martin, the Typhon system had been flown 13,000km (8,000 miles) from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state to Luzon in the Philippines as part of a military exercise called Salaknib and...
Çin Halk Kurtuluş Ordusunun Güney Cephe Komutanlığı, donanma unsurlarının Güney Çin Denizi'nde rutin devriye faaliyeti yürüttüğünü açıkladı. Açıklamada, Filipinler'in bölge dışı ülkelerle düzenlediği devriye faaliyetlerinin barışa zarar verdiği savunuldu. Bu açıklama, ABD ve Filipinler'in 17 ülkenin katıldığı yıllık Balikatan askeri tatbikatıyla aynı döneme denk geldi. Çin, 24 Nisan'da Filipinler'in kuzeyindeki Luzon Adası yakınlarında gerçek cephaneyle canlı atış tatbikatı düzenlemişti.
Analysis warns that the Indo-Pacific is drifting into a security logic where deterrence multiplies rather than contains risk. The Balikatan 2026 exercise involving 17,000+ personnel from seven nations, with Japan participating as active combat partner for the first time, exemplifies this drift. Japan's transit of the destroyer JS Ikazuchi through the Taiwan Strait on the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki provoked strong Chinese condemnation, illustrating how every defensive move invites a countermove.
The Chinese military aired footage over the weekend of YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile launches, as joint US-Philippines-Japan drills heighten tensions in the disputed South China Sea. China Military Bugle posted a video of PLA Navy conducting strike tests, including multiple YJ-20 launches, two days after Beijing said a naval fleet led by Type 055 destroyer Zunyi had conducted live-fire drills east of Luzon.
China's PLA Southern Theatre Command announced Friday that a naval fleet recently conducted drills in waters east of Luzon, the northernmost major island of the Philippines. The command, which oversees the South China Sea, described the exercises as "a necessary action taken in response to the current regional situation." The deployment coincided with Monday's launch of Balikatan 2026, a 19-day annual large-scale joint exercise led by the United States and the Philippines.
The Philippines has emerged as the clearest example of what observers say is Japan’s shift towards a more active defence role abroad, with both countries deepening their military cooperation in areas ranging from joint drills to technological partnerships. Japanese forces are taking part for the first time in this year’s Balikatan military exercises hosted by the Philippines, while bilateral cooperation is set to expand after Tokyo eased its defence export rules on Tuesday. These activities...
Çin, Japonya'nın ABD ve Filipinler'in düzenlediği en geniş çaplı Balikatan askeri tatbikatına katılımını kınadı. Çin Dışişleri Bakanlığı Sözcüsü Guo Ciakun, Japonya'nın İkinci Dünya Savaşı'ndaki saldırganlık ve sömürgecilik geçmişi nedeniyle tarihsel sorumluluk taşıdığını belirterek, Tayvan Boğazı'ndan geçen Japon savaş gemisini bilinçli bir provokasyon olarak nitelendirdi. Tatbikata 17 bin asker katılırken Japonya 3 savaş gemisi, 2 uçak ve 1400 muharip personelle katıldı.
Çin, askeri ve diplomatik gerilimler yaşadığı Japonya'nın ABD ile Filipinler'in düzenlediği Balikatan askeri tatbikatına katılımını eleştirdi.
Philippinen und USA haben inmitten wachsender Spannungen mit China eines ihrer größten Militärmanöver begonnen. Zum ersten Mal beteiligen sich Einheiten aus Japan.
Die Philippinen und die USA haben eines der größten gemeinsamen Militärmanöver ihrer Geschichte gestartet. An den 19-tägigen Übungen »Balikatan« beteiligen sich mehr als 17.000 Soldaten aus sieben Ländern. Japan ist erstmals aktiv beteiligt und soll bei einer simulierten maritimen Angriffsübung eine ausgemusterte Schiffseinheit mit Raketen beschießen. Die Manöver finden in Luzon nahe Taiwan und umstrittenen Gebieten im Südchinesischen Meer statt, wo China regelmäßig Konflikte mit den Philippinen hat.
