Balikatan 2026: U.S. Army, Philippine Forces Lead Joint Fires During Balikatan 2026 Counter Landing Exercise

LAOAG, Philippines– The ground shook and the skies roared over the La Paz Sand Dunes as U.S. and Philippine forces seamlessly integrated air, land, and maritime combat power to defeat a simulated adversarial beach landing during the 25th Infantry Division-led Counter Landing Live Fire Exercise – North (CLLFX-N), May 4, 2026. CLLFX-N, a cornerstone, Army-led event of Exercise Balikatan 2026, serves as a platform upon which the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division, the Philippine Marine Corps’ 4th Marine Brigade, and other joint and combined elements are testing a novel Littoral Deep Battle Framework. This framework is specifically tailored for counter landing operations in support of the Philippines’ Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept. The event demonstrated the ironclad alliance and modernization efforts of the combined force. Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, fighting alongside the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division and the 4th Marine Brigade, orchestrated a highly synchronized, multi-domain defense of the northern Luzon coastline. They received additional supportfrom elements of the U.S. Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. This multilateral coastal defense drill brought together service members from four nations. The United States contingent featured Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division’s Division Artillery, 3rd Mobile Brigade, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the 62nd Medical Brigade, alongside Marines from the 3rd Littoral Combat Team and Airmen with the 120th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. The Philippines provided a robust joint force including soldiers from the 503rd Brigade, marines with the 4th Marine Brigade, airmen from the 15th Air Wing, and a combined maritime effort of naval patrol gunboats and coast guard patrol vessels. Rounding out the international partnership were soldiers from Japan’s 2nd Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment and Canada’s 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Col. Daniel J. VonBenken, 25th Infantry Division Artillery commander, noted that while Balikatan 2026 is Marine-led at the exercise level, the counter-landing fight is a "shoulder to shoulder" effort between the U.S. and Philippine forces. “This exercise showcases the lethality of our combined joint force when empowered by a modern command and control network,” said VonBenken. He emphasized that while they are layering proven firepower with new tech, the true edge is the "ability to see the entire battlespace on a single pane of glass and rapidly direct those assets together with our AFP counterparts.” Orchestrating this complex sequence of joint and combined fires was an advanced command and control network, demonstrated concurrently as part of the 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Surge III effort. This digital backbone provided commanders from both nations with a shared, real-time operating picture, allowing them to rapidly synchronize effects from the air, land, and sea. To enhance target acquisition and precision, the combined forces employed unmanned autonomous surface vessels in the water and integrated unmanned aerial systems into the coastal defense, showcasing a modernized approach to traditional artillery and maneuver exercises. The live-fire sequence began in the maritime deep fight, with U.S. F-16s and the Philippine Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing engaging targets miles off the coast, immediately followed by precision strikes from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. As the simulated enemy forces closed on the shoreline, U.S. AH-64 Apache and Philippine attack helicopters engaged, paving the way for the coastal close fight. Infantry units, utilizing Infantry Squad Vehicles for rapid insertion, occupied battle positions within the dunes. From there, the combined force unleashed a barrage of direct and indirect fires incorporating armor, mortars, Javelin missiles, and small arms. “This Counter-Landing Live Fire Exercise demonstrates our growing capability to defend our shores through a multi-layered, joint and combined approach integrating land, sea, and air assets to decisively destroy threats before they reach our coastline,” said Col. Dennis Hernandez PN(M), AFP Balikatan Executive Agent/Spokesperson. Beyond the tactical execution, the success of CLLFX-N relied heavily upon extensive community partnership. U.S. and Philippine planners worked directly with Ilocos Norte civil leadership, including the governor and local barangay captains, to establish safe target boxes that protected local fishing grounds and private property. Safety and airspace deconfliction were meticulously coordinated with the Laoag Airport Tower. In conjunction with the combat rehearsals, the combined forces also prioritized the human element of the exercise by conducting multiple Medical Civic Action Program events in the surrounding communities of Laoag and Barangay 33A. “Safety and respect for the local community are our absolute top priorities,” VonBenken said. “The people of Ilocos Norte have been incredibly welcoming. Ensuring their livelihoods and safety are protected is just as important as the training itself. We want to leave these dunes cleaner than we found them and leave our relationship with this community even stronger.” Following the successful live-fire, forces immediately began deconstructing temporary battle positions and life-support areas. U.S. and Philippine personnel conducted thorough sweeps of the La Paz Sand Dunes, prioritizing environmental stewardship and ensuring the training area was left safe and clear for the local community to resume normal activities.

Hernandez added, “Balikatan remains a testament to the enduring Philippines–United States alliance enhancing interoperability, strengthening readiness, and ensuring that our forces are prepared to protect our sovereignty while upholding regional stability.”

Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity