AFP: Japan, Australia may join Balikatan

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April 4, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Japan, Australia and other like-minded states are again expected to participate in this year’s Balikatan exercises led by Filipino and American troops scheduled to begin this month.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, speaking at yesterday’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, said the military activities for 2025 will be among the biggest in recent years.

“As we strengthen alliances with like-minded nations and well-meaning nations, our alliances also become broader,” she said, confirming that at least Japan will be joining the Balikatan exercises.

“We have recently signed the RAA (reciprocal access agreement) with Japan in July 2024 and we have a VFA (visiting forces agreement) in the works with Australia and with Canada, and we’re also looking at (having it) with the EU (European Union),” she said.

Padilla explained that as earlier announced by AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., this year’s Balikatan will be a full battle test.

“When we say full battle test, we look at what techniques, tactics and procedures we have established and apply them,” she said.

“We will also use the equipment that we have acquired from our modernization programs. We cannot use those on the day when we actually have to use them. So all the trainings, all the preparations will come into play come Balikatan Exercises,” she said.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced last week that the US military will be bringing in its Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System or NMESIS anti-ship missile system that will help train both Filipino and American soldiers on advance capabilities including other highly capable unmanned surface vehicles.

Padilla said this year’s combined military training between the US and the Philippines will cover cyberwarfare as troops train side by side on kinetic and non-kinetic aspects.

“So other than the physical equipment that we have, we also have our cyber exercises. We will prepare and upgrade the training and skill sets of our personnel along with the acquisition of equipment,” she noted.