Philippines, United States start ‘joint military operations” next year
Philippine and US Army troops execute a joint air assault training exercise on May 22, 2025, at the Cagayan North International Airport as part of Exercise SALAKNIB Phase 2. Photo from Philippine Army Facebook page.
By: Manuel Mogato | Published: June 6, 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes
MANILA — The Philippines and the United States will stop large-scale, land-based training exercises, such as the combined and joint “Balikatan” exercises, starting next year.
Instead, the two allies would plan and execute a “joint operation,” testing their readiness to respond to any contingency under the Mutual Defense Treaty.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr told Asia-Pacific Insights (API) that the Armed Forces’ operations division (J-3) would run the “joint operation” instead of the Armed Forces’ military training, education, and doctrines (J-8).
Teodoro said the local military has started discussing with US counterparts to transition exercises into actual joint operations, preparing for contingencies in the Indo-Pacific region by allowing the operations division to handle the activities.
“We have to be prepared to go into actual joint operations with our allies. We are slowly transitioning into a joint operations concept with our security partner to test our mutual defense plans under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty,” Teodoro said.
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“For many years, we have done a lot of simulations, make-believe scenarios, and fought imaginary enemies to train our forces. We gradually transitioned from counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and conventional warfare as we slowly developed our modest warfighting capabilities. We are not there, but it’s better to start early. I believe it was time to rehearse our war plans by going into joint operations.”
He said the focus of the joint operations would be on integrated air defense systems and anti-access and area denial (A2AD), pushing away hostile maritime forces beyond the country’s maritime zones in the West Philippine Sea.
“The integrated air defense and maritime security operations are consistent with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s interim national defense strategic guidance, which focus on deterring China’s invasion of Taiwan. The US is seriously concerned about China’s large stockpile of missiles, armed drones, and submarines, which could threaten Taiwan even without launching an invasion. It could also threaten other Indo-Pacific allies, like Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea.”
Teodoro, a lawyer by profession, said there was some discussions on Hegseth’s interim strategic defense plan when the Indo-Pacific regional security was discussed during the US defense secretary’s brief visit to Manila, especially concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea.
“We did not talk about the strategic plan at length but the Philippines would want to start planning our mutual defense plan along that line to be consistent,” he said.
“Part of our joint operations plan is to strengthen our improved joint operations capacity, cyber security infrastructure, and tighten our command and control, computers, communications, surveillance, target acquisition, intelligence, and reconnaissance capabilities (C4STAIR.)
To start with, he said three large-scale, ground-based exercises — Kamandag, Salakib, and Balikatan — would be transformed into joint operations activities to test the skills and proficiencies of the two Armed Forces. There would be more live-fire and amphibious and counter-landing activities, airborne operations, and special operations activities. Incidentally, the Armed Forces has activated a Joint Special Operations Command to combine the specialized units in the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.
“We wanted to perfect the execution of the defense plans so everything would be in place in case it happens in the future,” he added.
The joint operations will focus on the northern and western Luzon corridor and in western Palawan province. He said there was a plan to revive the expansion of Oyster Bay on the western side of Palawan and turn it into an operating naval base and Marine jungle training base.
The Philippines and the United States are drawing lessons from major conflicts around the world — in Ukraine, in Central Asia, in the Middle East, and recent skirmishes on the India-Pakistan border.
Thus, the Armed Forces would prioritize acquiring anti-missile and anti-drone weapons systems, electronic jammers, and other specialized equipment.
“We are exploring extending the deployment of about a dozen NMESIS. MADIS and the single Typhon MRC in the country,” he said. “If the US would make it available, we are interested in NMESIS and MADIS, which could cost around $130 million. That would boost our deterrence capability under our Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept. Again, it will be consistent with Secretary Hegseth’s interim strategic defense plan.”
The AFP training division would still handle numerous training and exercises, such as tabletop drills, small-unit tactical training, and technical and advanced military education courses. From brigade, regiment, and division-level exercises, the operations division will handle.
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