39th ‘Balikatan’ exercises to kick off on April 22

THE 39th iteration of the annual “Balikatan” bilateral exercise between Philippine and United States Armed Forces will take place from April 22 to May 10.

This was announced by “Balikatan” 2024 Combined Information Bureau chief Lt. Col. John Paul Bureau in a statement Tuesday.

“Scheduled to unfold across Luzon from April 22 to May 10, the event will see more than 16,000 service members from both nations converge for joint training,” he said.

“Balikatan” aims to bolster collaboration and readiness across a spectrum of critical areas including external defense operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and interagency capacity-building.

US Marine Corps Forces Pacific Commander Lt. Gen. William M. Jurney, US exercise director for “Balikatan,” said he is confident in the strengthened capabilities achieved through joint exercise.

“Our combined capabilities with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are stronger than ever. Every day that we work and train together, the bonds between our people grow stronger, our capabilities grow stronger, our alliance grows stronger ,” he added.

“Balikatan” 2024 is structured around three main components: Command and Control Exercise (C2X), Field Training Exercise (FTX), and Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA).

These activities will span various locations under the Northern Luzon Command, Western Command, and Southern Luzon Command areas of operation.

C2X will encompass a Staff Exercise, a Cyber Defense Exercise, and an inaugural Information Warfighter Exercise, all designed to test the ability of AFP and US forces to plan, command, and communicate effectively in simulated scenarios.

The FTX will concentrate on combined joint all-domain operations, including vital maritime terrain protection, air assault operations, and reconnaissance activities.

Additionally, it will feature the deployment and utilization of cutting-edge military assets such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Rapid Infiltration, Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), and various unmanned aerial systems.

The key event will be the Maritime Strike, which seeks to integrate joint and combined fires, combined joint dynamic targeting, and multi-domain effects through the sinking of the adversary’s vessel.