More than 17,000 troops from seven countries will begin joint military exercises across the Philippines in late April 2026, in what officials are calling the largest and most complex edition yet of Balikatan — a Tagalog word meaning "shoulder to shoulder" — the annual war games between the Philippines and its treaty ally, the United States. Running from April 20 to May 8, the drills will span land, air, sea, space, and cyber domains, with partner nations Japan, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand all sending combat personnel.

In a milestone carrying unmistakable historical weight, Japanese combat troops will set foot on Philippine soil for the first time since Imperial Japan invaded the archipelago during World War II. Japanese forces are also expected to fire a missile in a ship-sinking exercise in northwestern Philippine waters facing the South China Sea — a live-fire drill that Japan's Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro has been invited to witness. "There's a desire among participating partners to expand participation. They see the importance of stability in the region," said Colonel Robert Bunn, spokesperson for US forces in Balikatan 2026.

Although military officials are careful to state that the exercises are not directed at any specific adversary, the geographic focus of the drills speaks volumes. Key activities are centred on the Northern Luzon Command — which faces the Taiwan Strait, less than an hour's flight from some drill sites — and the Western Command in Palawan, which borders the West Philippine Sea. It is here that Chinese maritime forces have repeatedly harassed Philippine vessels in recent years, despite an international tribunal ruling Beijing's sweeping claims over the waterway invalid. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has himself warned that the Philippines would be drawn into any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity.

Overshadowing this year's drills is the ongoing US and Israeli military campaign against Iran, which erupted following US strikes on February 28. The Philippines, heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil, has been placed under a national energy emergency as fuel costs surge. Philippine military spokesman Colonel Dennis Hernandez acknowledged the impact, while stressing that resources for Balikatan had been planned and secured well in advance. Bunn added that US fuel supplies for the exercises were purchased 90 to 120 days before the conflict began, though he conceded some broader economic effect was unavoidable.

Why this matters: Balikatan 2026 arrives at a moment of compounding regional and global pressures — Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea, instability in the Taiwan Strait, and a Middle East war straining US logistics and attention. The expanded multinational format sends a deliberate signal that Washington's Pacific alliances remain robust. "Our message is our dedication and commitment to our alliance and regional security," Bunn said — a statement directed as much at Beijing as at Manila.