The latest Balikatan military exercises have begun in the Philippines

The latest international military exercises, Balikatan, began in the Philippines on April 20 and will last until May 8. In recent years, their very existence has become a significant development in the Southeast Asian subregion.

Regional Issues Drive the Balikatan 2026 Exercise

This refers to the overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea between China and almost all of its southern neighbors. This problem has become particularly acute in Beijing’s relations with Manila, whose foreign policy trend toward strengthening its alliance with the United States became especially noticeable with the election of Fidel C. Marcos Jr. as president in 2022.

The situation in the South China Sea itself is becoming a “geopolitical vortex,” drawing in other players, as evidenced by the Balikatan exercises. In addition to the Philippines and the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand are directly participating in the current exercise, which has a total of 17,000 troops. Another 17 countries are represented as observers. The United States, however, assessing the Balikatan exercises as “an important factor in maintaining stability in the region,” intends to further expand the number of participants.

Japan’s Growing Role in the Balikatan Exercises and in the Region

Once again, we note the rapidly growing role of Japan in all processes taking place in the Indo-Pacific region as a whole, and in Southeast Asia in particular. Specifically, the exercises under discussion are featuring ground units of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) for the first time, with a strength of 1,000 troops, representing two-thirds of the current total of Japanese........

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