Philippines and U.S. Conduct Counter-Landing Drills with Allies Near the South China Sea

Reuters

Troops from New Zealand, Philippines, U.S., and Australia pose for a photo with their national flags after partcipating in counter-landing live fire exercises during Balikatan in Philippines, 27 April 2026.

As simulated enemy boats and unmanned craft approached the shores of Palawan facing the South China Sea, Philippines and United States forces conducted counter-landing drills on Monday, repelling a mock assault through live-fire exercises against designated targets and intercepting incoming threats.

The demonstration of advanced weapons capabilities and operational readiness formed part of the annual Balikatan exercises, meaning “shoulder to shoulder”, which bring together forces from the Philippines, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to rehearse coastal defence manoeuvres and test their ability to operate jointly in protecting territorial waters.

Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner highlighted the strategic importance of the location, noting that Palawan faces the South China Sea and lies opposite the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the Spratly Islands which Philippines regards as falling within its exclusive economic zone.

"We are defending our exclusive economic zone, where we get our resources, food, and energy. So it's really very important that we defend this territory of the Philippines," Brawner told reporters.

Brawner said this year's counter‑landing exercise, which features systems such as HIMARS, differed from previous iterations by its heavy use of unmanned systems, including drones.

Military officials from the Philippines and the United States have said this year’s edition of the Balikatan is the largest to date in terms of the number of participating countries.

Another phase of the drills, taking place from 20 April to 8 May, will be held in northern Luzon, the Philippines’ largest island and the area closest to Taiwan. There, combat troops from Japan, participating for the first time, will fire Type 88 missile during a maritime strike exercise.

Japan has been deepening its defence cooperation with Philippines following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement in 2024, allowing the two countries to deploy military forces on each other’s territory.

The Philippines has also welcomed Japan’s decision to remove restrictions on overseas arms exports, paving the way for the sale of warships, missiles and other defence equipment.

More than 17,000 troops are taking part in this year’s exercises, including approximately 10,000 from the United States. United States officials said the scale of the drills reflects Washington’s defence commitments to the region, even as it remains engaged in the Middle East.

Source: Reuters



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