39th Phl-US Balikatan officially opens

The Philippines and the United States on Monday officially opened the 39th iteration of their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise. 

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. declared the start of the Balikatan 2024 edition in a ceremonial opening at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. 

In his speech, Brawner said the annual exercise "represents the essence of unity, collective responsibility, and enduring partnership" between the Philippines and the US, along with the country's like-minded allies. 

"It is not a partnership of convenience but rather a clear reflection of our shared history, unwavering commitment to democracy, and respect for international law in our pursuit of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," the AFP chief stressed. 

Brawner pointed out that the execution of the Balikatan exercise can be significant in realizing the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept recently developed by the Philippines.

"The ever-evolving nature of defense necessitates our adoption and transformation," he underscored.

According to AFP, this year's Balikatan is the biggest iteration, considering its scale and complexity, with more countries and agencies participating in various "complicated and comprehensive activities" that are "designed to address the ever-evolving security landscape in the region".

The Balikatan will run from 22 April until 10 May.

Various combat drills will take place within the area of operations of the AFP's Northern Luzon Command, Western Command, and Southern Luzon Command.

Around 5,000 AFP servicemen and at least 11,000 US military personnel, including 3,700 US Marines, 1,200 soldiers, 4,000 US Navy personnel, 400 airmen and Air National Guardsmen, as well as 750 US Special Operations forces, will participate in various onshore and offshore warfare drills, which aimed at enhancing both forces' tactics, techniques and procedures across a wide range of military operations.

Balikatan 2024 targets to bolster collaboration and readiness across a broad spectrum of critical areas, including external defense operations, cyber defense, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and inter-agency capacity-building.

The primary components of this year's Balikatan will revolve around the Command and Control Exercise (C2X), Field Training Exercise (FTX), and Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA).

The Australian Defense Force will deploy at least 150 personnel, primarily supporting the FTX events and HCA projects. 

While, some 100 French Navy personnel will partake in FTX and at-sea events—marking France's inaugural participation in the Balikatan Exercise. 

The AFP said the Balikatan advances combined military modernization and capability development by working together and conducting subject matter expert exchanges.

Other countries including Japan, South Korea, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Germany, and New Zealand will participate as observers.