Manila, Philippines – The U.S. Army, alongside Philippine and Japanese partners, recently conducted multiple defensive live- and dry-fire exercises that centered around Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems weaponry during this year’s Balikatan 2026.
Exercise Balikatan, the largest annual bilateral military exercise between the Philippines and the United States, expanded its scope this year to include Australia, Japan, France, Canada, and New Zealand. The 41st iteration of the exercise, held from April 20 to May 8 across the Philippine archipelago, emphasized multinational cooperation and preparedness for a wide range of contingencies, including conventional warfare and foreign disaster response.
The Tagalog phrase “Balikatan,” meaning “shoulder-to-shoulder,” reflected the spirit of partnership and close friendship among participating nations. The exercise featured realistic simulations and war-gaming, enhancing planning, command and control systems, logistics, and communication among allied forces.
Public Health Command – Pacific (PHC-P) played a key role in the Balikatan Surveillance Mission, a collaborative effort between the Entomology Service Line and the Environmental Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Team. The mission, part of a broader Force Health Protection initiative, focused on biological surveillance for vector-borne diseases and screening wastewater for pathogens. Sample collection took place from April 20 to April 30 in areas where U.S. military personnel were housed or training, including Palawan, Subic, Clark Air Base, and other installations.
Both teams contributed to the emplacement of mosquito traps and management of bait stations, particularly during the first week, despite reduced workload and limited personnel. All collected samples were processed and tested at Clark Air Base to identify potential biological threats and sources of illness.
The successful execution of the surveillance mission supported ongoing efforts to operationalize the 1951 U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty by improving tactical proficiency, interoperability, capability development, and military-to-military coordination. The exercise demonstrated a sustained commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, reinforcing the importance of multinational collaboration in regional security and public health.