The Balikatan exercises are widening to include more partners like Japan, Canada and France. This page breaks down what’s changing, how it affects regional security, and what it could mean for diplomacy and supply chains. Below you’ll find frequently asked questions and clear answers that cover who’s involved, what’s being practiced, and the potential risks and opportunities.
The 2026 Balikatan drills are expanding beyond the Philippines and the United States to include Japan, Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, and other partners. The exercises cover coastal defense, maritime operations, and live-fire training across multiple locations through May 8. It’s a show of expanded security cooperation in the South China Sea region and near Taiwan, with a focus on interoperability and collective defense.
Bringing Japan, Canada, France and other allies into Balikatan broadens the security architecture in the Asia-Pacific. More partners mean greater interoperability and shared strategic signaling, potentially deterring aggression and improving maritime defense near contested waters. At the same time, it raises the profile of alliance commitments and could influence deterrence dynamics among regional actors.
Wider drills can sharpen military readiness but may raise tensions with rival powers in sensitive areas like the South China Sea. Increased militarization near disputed zones could complicate diplomatic talks or provoke counter-moves. For supply chains, more secure maritime routes can improve reliability, yet heightened military activity near chokepoints could introduce temporary risk and require careful logistics planning and risk assessment.
Japan’s involvement marks a significant expansion of regional security cooperation, signaling a broader, more capable alliance network. It reflects regional concern over tensions with China and near-Taiwan considerations, and demonstrates a willingness among partner nations to share training resources and operational concepts to strengthen maritime defense.
The drills cover coastal defense, maritime operations and live-fire exercises at multiple sites through May 8. The exercise involves more than 17,000 personnel from the Philippines, United States and allied nations, underscoring a geographically distributed program designed to practice real-world interoperability and rapid-force deployment.
Expanded participation can serve as a diplomatic signal of shared security interests and commitment to upholding freedom of navigation. It may open channels for dialogue with regional partners and potentially with rival states, while also setting expectations for joint responses to regional incidents. The net effect depends on how governments manage messaging, escalation risks, and negotiation leverage during and after the exercises.
As simulated enemy boats and unmanned craft closed in on the shores of Palawan island facing the South China Sea, Philippine and U.S. forces conducted counter-landing drills on Monday, repelling a mock assault by using live fire against designated t