The Japan Self-Defense Force’s ground-based Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system was fired for the first time in Philippines during the Balikatan’s maritime strike exercise, targeting and sinking a simulated enemy vessel. (Photo by Lade Kabagani)
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A defense analyst said Friday there was “no dramatic transformation” in this year’s Balikatan exercises, noting the continued absence of ASEAN member states in the military drills despite ongoing regional security concerns.
De La Salle University professor Renato De Castro said U.S. forces tested a Typhoon medium-range capability system and a Tomahawk missile system during the exercise, with launches conducted from Leyte to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. The drills were conducted jointly by U.S. and Philippine Army troops, without participation from any Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.
De Castro said ASEAN participation in Balikatan remains unlikely, citing the bloc’s longstanding foreign policy orientation.
“Our foreign policy aspect is different and, of course, the presence of two countries [Malaysia and Indonesia], their stand in non-alignment is very strong,” he said in an interview with Super Radyro DZBB.
The regional bloc, composed of Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, continues to rely on dialogue-based and non-confrontational mechanisms.
De Castro also pointed to China’s influence in the region as a key factor shaping ASEAN members’ decisions. “Of course, China has a very strong presence, so the ASEAN members do not want to irritate them [China],” he said.
Despite the absence of ASEAN troops, De Castro said Balikatan 2026 has become increasingly multilateral.
De Castro also highlighted Japan’s participation as a significant development in the exercises.
He noted that since 1947, Japan has maintained a pacifist constitution that renounces war as a sovereign right and limits its military engagement.
“But we saw that in this Balikatan, Japan sent ground troops and they participated in the military exercise,” he said.
More than 17,000 troops from Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand were estimated to have participated in the exercises held from 20 April to 8 May.
