Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. on Friday commended the success of Exercise Balikatan 41-2026, emphasizing the continued shared commitment to stronger regional stability and readiness during a ceremony at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo.

This year’s iteration was the largest yet, with more than 17,000 participating troops from the Philippines, the United States, and other partner nations. Secretary Teodoro congratulated the organizers, officers, and participants for the smooth execution of demonstrations without any major injuries, collateral damage, or casualties caused by unintended or accidental targets.

“I believe that this demonstration, complex as it is, will underscore to the host country’s audience — the Filipinos — the need to preserve our military spaces and invest in higher technology because with precision comes safety,” Teodoro said.

The Defense chief expressed hopes of incorporating more technical developments and advanced approaches in future Balikatan exercises.

“I also look forward to the next iteration’s activities so that we can incorporate more in scope — not necessarily in scale — more scenarios, more technology, transfer of learning, but more importantly, more deterrence and more interoperability,” Teodoro added.

He also called for a review of the exercises’ aftermath to determine necessary improvements and strengthen coordination with government partners.

“From the aftermath of the Balikatan Exercise also comes an information mechanism where we can channel to our partners in government the necessary adjustments and cooperation that governments can undertake to make communities better,” Teodoro concluded.

Balikatan, which means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” is a longstanding annual series of joint military exercises, operations, and humanitarian activities between the armed forces of the Philippines and the United States.