MANILA – The Philippine Navy (PN) announced the conduct of arrival ceremonies for the prospective offshore patrol vessel (OPV), BRP Rajah Lakandula (PS-21), at the Naval Operating Base Subic, Zambales on Friday.
PN public affairs office chief Capt. Marie Angelica DC Sisican said in a statement on Saturday that the ship arrived in the country on May 4.
The prospective BRP Rajah Lakandula is the sister ship of the BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), which was commissioned into service in February.
The BRP Rajah Sulayman is the first of the six OPVs ordered from South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, at a cost of about PHP30 billion. These ships measure 94.4 meters long and 14.3 meters wide, with a displacement of 2,400 tons, a maximum speed of 22 knots, a cruising speed of 15 knots, and a range of 5,500 nautical miles.
Sisican said Philippine Military Academy Superintendent, Vice Admiral Caesar Bernard Valencia, served as the keynote speaker for the arrival ceremonies.
Also present during the ceremony was PN chief Vice Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta and Philippine Fleet commander Rear Admiral Joe Anthony Orbe.
The vessel, set to be formally commissioned at a later date, signifies another milestone in the Navy’s ongoing capability development efforts.
“When this ship sails, the spirit of Rajah Lakandula sails with it – steadfast, wise, and unyielding. We are telling the world that we are a peace-loving nation. Our resolve to protect what is ours is as deep as the trenches of the Philippines,” Valencia said as he highlighted the significance of the vessel’s arrival and its namesake, Rajah Lakandula, the pre-colonial ruler of Tondo and a symbol of courage and leadership in Philippine history.
The arrival of the future BRP Rajah Lakandula underscores the Philippine Navy’s commitment to enhancing maritime security operations and maintaining a credible naval presence.
“With the addition of this asset, the PN continues to strengthen its ability to safeguard the nation’s maritime domain and support national security objectives,” Sisican said. (PNA)

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines hosted the closing ceremony of Exercise Balikatan 2026, May 8, marking the successful completion of the largest annual military exercise between the Philippines and the United States.
The ceremony was a celebration of a successful exercise and a reminder of the shared values that underpin it. This 41st iteration of the exercise proved to be the most expansive Balikatan to date. Five ally and partner nations joined the Philippines and United States – Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand – bolstering the shared knowledge, capabilities, and momentum of the exercise from start to finish.
“Balikatan 2026 marked a strategic evolution from a bilateral exercise to a full-scale, multinational mission rehearsal for the defense of the Philippines,” said U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. “That growth reflects the security environment. It reflects the sovereign choices of free nations.”
The 19-day exercise highlighted the combat credibility, crisis readiness, and spirit of cooperation forged over decades of U.S.-Philippines bilateral training and reinforced by a growing coalition of like-minded partners and allies.
Combat credibility starts with detailed planning and strategic logistics. Long before the opening ceremony, service members dedicated months to the tactical plans, life support considerations, and safety precautions, paving the way for operations to begin. In March, AFP and U.S. forces, alongside civilian entities, conducted a Maritime Prepositioning Force offload to prepare equipment and sustainment for the exercise, strategically moving items from Mindanao through Subic Bay and onto training areas.
With combat power in position, the combined and joint force conducted complex all-domain live-fire events, enhancing air and missile defense, counter-landing, and maritime security and strike capabilities. These events integrated advanced capabilities into realistic scenarios across the archipelago, demonstrating how combat power becomes credible when applied by a capable, multinational force.
Combat credibility was also on display at sea – the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan, and Canada conducted a Multilateral Maritime Event off the western coast of Luzon, featuring training inlive-fire gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, and replenishment at sea as well as deck landing qualifications.
“Balikatan was never simply about conducting activities,” said Philippine Army Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “It was about strengthening the ability to respond together in real, complex conditions. And that matters because in today’s security environment, readiness cannot be improvised.”
Crisis readiness was built as partner forces conducted advanced aeromedical, combat search-and-rescue, and mass casualty training. And readiness was called upon the first day of the exercise when AFP and U.S. forcesresponded to a vehicular accident, extracting multiple injured civilians from a ravine while aviation units coordinated rapid helicopter medical evacuations. Their coordinated response highlights that this year’s events are a product of decades of military cooperation.
Throughout the exercise, the spirit of cooperation extended directly into local communities. At five sites across the archipelago – from Mindanao to Palawan to Northern Luzon – service members worked alongside local leaders, barangay rural healthworkersand community partners to support medical and dental exams, health education, classroom technology, infrastructureprojectsand community engagements tailored to local priorities; lasting impacts of health engagements and engineering projects will provide value to the lives of more than 60,000 Filipinos.
The exercise’s success in enhancing combat credibility, crisis readiness, and the spirit of cooperation represents a shared commitment to regional peace and stability that is the foundation of the 1951 U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, stronger than ever 75 years after signing.
“These anniversaries remind us that our alliance is not merely a matter of treaty obligations. It is a living partnership, designed and strengthened across generations, and grounded in shared values, mutual respect, and common purpose,” said Y. Robert Ewing, chargé d’affaires, a.i., at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. “Exercise Balikatan serves as a powerful testament to our alliance in action. It demonstrates our collective commitment to prepare together, alongside other like-minded nations, to deter common threats and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines – The 317th Airlift Wing arrived at Clark Air Base, Philippines, to provide critical tactical airlift capabilities following the successful execution of Maximum Endurance Operations, in support of Exercise Balikatan 2026, April 17.
This year’s iteration of the longstanding annual exercise coincides with the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty. Designed to strengthen the ironclad alliance and improve combined capabilities, the exercise features more than 17,000 personnel from the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand.
To reach the Philippine archipelago, three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 40th Airlift Squadron conducted MEOs to Clark Air Base. By utilizing rotating aircrews and limited fuel stops, these operations significantly reduced transit time and extended the wing’s operational reach, enabling rapid response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region.
Operating from Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites, the 317th AW is delivering personnel, equipment and fuel to austere locations throughout the region. During the exercise, the wing is employing C-130Js equipped with external fuel tanks to facilitate Specialized Fueling Operations, rapid infiltration, and long-range fire support.
“We’re going out to the northern Philippines, to fly into these islands with U.S. Marines and Soldiers while offloading fuel,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Justin Diehl, 317th AW commander. “Our capabilities ensure the Joint Force, along with our allies and partners, can sustain operations without relying solely on maritime logistics.” Diehl further noted the efficiency of these operations, stating, “It used to take days to get fuel to northern islands in the Philippines,” said Diehl. “Our Airmen have reduced that timeline to less than an hour.”
The exercise also highlights a specialized “lift and strike” partnership with the 7th Bomb Wing from Dyess Air Force Base. Integrated into these operations are recent graduates of the 317th AW’s Lethal Expeditionary Airman Development course, a program designed to prepare noncommissioned officers for decentralized operations in contested environments.
This training enables Mission-Ready Airmen to support Agile Combat Employment concepts with a reduced footprint. “Our Airmen prove that not only can the 317th AW deliver assets to some of the most remote landing zones, but that we can do so with NCOs leading and operating at the highest level,” said Diehl. These combined efforts directly support the maintenance of high-level military readiness required to respond to potential crises or contingencies.
Chief Master Sgt. Martin Castillo, 317th AW command chief, emphasized that the wing is focused on executing these operations at scale to strengthen regional deterrence. “A free and open Indo-Pacific remains the objective,” said Castillo. “This is the 317th AW’s third iteration of Exercise Balikatan, and each iteration increases the speed, precision and confidence our Airmen bring to the mission.”
Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen the alliance, improve combined capabilities and demonstrate a shared commitment to regional security and stability.

Residents of Barangay Villa Reyes, San Narciso, Quezon, Philippines gathered this week as service members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States provided medical care, shared health education, and supported ongoing construction at the local elementary school as part of Exercise Balikatan 2026, April 7–9.
During the engagement, community members moved between consultation areas and training stations, receiving medical attention, learning CPR techniques and taking part in discussions on preventative health and wellness. AFP service members worked alongside U.S. counterparts, helping ensure each interaction was clearly understood and accessible.
Medical teams conducted more than 350 medical and dental consultations and prescribed 783 medications, reducing the need for many residents to travel outside the barangay for routine services. As 2nd Lt. Jonathan Bautista, a registered nurse with the Philippine Nurse Corps, explained, “the mission is to take care of patients physically, emotionally, and help them however we can.”
Just steps away, construction continued on a two-classroom facility at Villa Reyes Elementary School, a project designed to support approximately 573 students with an improved learning environment. As Cecile Tacson, a teacher at Villa Reyes Elementary School, shared, “we’re grateful that Balikatan provided an opportunity to help our students.”
The engagement extended beyond medical care and construction during the Bundle of Joy ceremony, where service members delivered classroom supplies and spent time with local leaders, educators and families. During opening remarks, Lt. Kevin Gilchrist, a U.S. Navy chaplain assigned to 9th Communication Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, emphasized that “it is not so much about the gift as it is about the one who is giving and the one who is receiving.”
For the community, the impact is both immediate and lasting. As Alda A. Aballe, principal of Villa Reyes Elementary School, reflected, “May your kindness continue to inspire others.”
Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (Story by 1st Lt. Brandon Daniels, Exercise Balikatan )

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City, Philippines – Exercise Balikatan 2026, the 41st iteration of the largest annual bilateral exercise conducted between the Philippines and the United States, commenced with an opening ceremony today.
The ceremony marked the start of the most expansive Balikatan exercise to date with attendance by military officials and diplomats from the seven participating nations – the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand. The audience offered a preview of the multilateral cooperation to come and served as a testament to the exercise’s contributions to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“To our allies and partners, your presence here today sends a clear and unmistakable message that security is shared and that partnership remains our strongest advantage,” said Philippine Army Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., chief of staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines. “When nations stand together, shoulder-to-shoulder, with trust, purpose, and resolve, we are always stronger.”
AFP and U.S. forces began working shoulder-to-shoulder prior to the opening ceremony: logisticians transported, offloaded, and distributed equipment and sustainment across the archipelago in preparation for the exercise while health professionals and engineers completed humanitarian civic assistance projects in barangays. Multilateral operational training across all domains – air, land, sea, space, and cyber – begins this week.
“This realistic and challenging training will not only enhance our interoperability and readiness, it will also forge unbreakable bonds of camaraderie and trust,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman, commanding general of the U.S. joint task force. “These relationships reinforce that the U.S.–Philippine alliance is more than military cooperation—it is a partnership deeply rooted in shared values.”
During the ceremony, leaders unfurled the exercise’s ceremonial flag and service members exchanged patches, reaffirming Balikatan 2026’s foundational importance to more than defense cooperation. Throughout the exercise, AFP, U.S., and partner service members will create positive change to local communities while securing regional peace and prosperity.
“As we begin this exercise, let us remember that we are not only preparing for contingencies – we are building lasting partnerships, strengthening mutual understanding, and reinforcing the bonds that make our alliance resilient,” said Y. Robert Ewing, chargé d’affaires, a.i., at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. “The relationships formed here – from senior leaders to individual service members – will endure far beyond this exercise and continue to strengthen our shared future.”
Exercise Balikatan directly supports the 75-year-old U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty by ensuring our forces are tactically proficient, modernizing mutual capabilities, and strengthening military-to-military coordination.

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Monday announced that one of the six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) it ordered from South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the prospective Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), arrived in the country on Jan. 17.
The vessel is scheduled for technical inspection and assessment before it is commissioned and officially accepted into service.
“The PN’s newest OPV, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), has arrived in the country from South Korea, which marks another significant addition to the Navy’s growing modern fleet, on January 17, 2026,” PN public affairs office chief Commander Marie Angelica Sisican said in a statement.
South Korean media earlier reported that the ship departed Ulsan on Jan. 13 for its voyage to the Philippines. Upon entering Philippine waters, the vessel was met off the coast of Zambales by the country’s first guided-missile frigate, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), in accordance with standard naval protocols.
“After completing coordination and meeting procedures at sea, the future BRP Rajah Sulayman will begin post-delivery activities and technical checks,” Sisican said.
She added that BRP Rajah Sulayman is scheduled to undergo acceptance and pre-commissioning processes before its formal entry into active service.
“(This) underscores the PN’s commitment to strengthening its maritime defense and law enforcement capabilities through a modern, multi-domain, and self-reliant force,” Sisican said.
BRP Rajah Sulayman was launched on June 11, 2025, at the HD HHI shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.
The BRP Rajah Sulayman is the first of the six OPVs ordered from shipbuilder HD HHI, worth around PHP30 billion in 2022. (PNA)

Philippine Marines deployed two small boats last week to escort a Chinese fishing boat that Manila claimed was illegally fishing at Second Thomas Shoal.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated that its troops “upheld environmental protection” at the disputed submerged reef Oct. 24 in the latest encounter between Manila and Beijing at the contested shoal.
“In adherence to established protocols, AFP personnel promptly escorted the unauthorized fishing boats out of the area and confiscated bottles containing suspected cyanide chemicals reportedly used for destructive fishing,” reads AFP the release.
A video released from the Philippines’ Western Naval Command shows the Marines approaching a Chinese fishing boat in the dark near BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57), a World War II-era landing ship tank grounded in 1999 by Manila to hold the maritime feature against other claimants. The Marines surrounded the Chinese fishermen and seized several items from the boat, including the alleged bottles containing cyanide.
After seizing the fishing gear, the Philippine small boats pulled the Chinese vessel away from Second Thomas Shoal with grappling hooks and lines. Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad told local reporters that “on a normal day, they (Chinese fishermen) could have been arrested,” but cited capacity concerns aboard Sierra Madre for the lack of arrests from the encounter.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines reiterates that its continuous presence and patrols in the West Philippine Sea are lawful and primarily focused on ensuring the safety of personnel, upholding territorial integrity, and advancing the protection and preservation of the marine environment within the country’s maritime domain,” reads the Philippine military statement.
Second Thomas Shoal became the focal point of a string of increasingly severe incidents between 2023 and 2024 amid Beijing’s efforts to enforce its South China Sea maritime claims against the Philippines. The two countries came to a provisional agreement over the shoal following an incident that saw a Philippine Navy SEAL lose his thumb during a clash between military and Coast Guard personnel last summer.
The incident demonstrated Beijing’s continued deployment and presence around Second Thomas Shoal following the June 17 incident, Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight Project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, told USNI News.

“Manila’s options to assert its own claim to the shoal have been limited by China’s capacity to swarm the area from its base at nearby Mischief Reef, so intercepting illegal fishing vessels is one of the few opportunities the Philippines has to push back,” Powell said.
Amid these incidents, Washington stepped up its support for Philippine forces with unmanned surface vessels, intelligence and training support. The existence of a forward-deployed American military task force dedicated to supporting Philippine forces in the South China Sea was also revealed last year. The task force’s name, Ayungin, is Manila’s name for the shoal.
While the agreement at Second Thomas Shoal has held, tensions between the two countries have been increasing throughout the South China Sea following an August collision between a People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer and China Coast Guard cutter during their pursuit of a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat. Shortly after the Scarborough incident, Chinese small boats equipped with heavy machine guns were spotted conducting drills in the shoal near Sierra Madre.

Forward-deployed U.S. sailors and Marines are training alongside the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and other allied militaries in the Philippine Sea as part of Annualex, a multilateral exercise held every other year.
Led by Japanese destroyer carrier JS Kaga (DDH-184), the exercise kicked off Monday with the goal of refining existing combat interoperability capabilities, enhancing readiness across platforms and deterring regional instability and aggression, officials said.
“This year’s Annualex focuses on enhancing the Japan and U.S. bilateral alliance within a multilateral context through maritime communication tactics, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, replenishment-at-sea and more,” reads U.S. 7th Fleet news release.
Representing the U.S. this year are: cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86), dry cargo ships USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6) and USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE-8), fleet-oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO-199), a submarine, P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II assigned to the “Bats” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242. Imagery released Monday by the U.S. Defense Department also shows F-35Cs assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 taking part in the drills. VFA-147 forms part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW-5) assigned to aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73).
Japan will contribute destroyers and a submarine.
This year’s iteration also includes participation for the first time from France, which is joining Australia, Canada and New Zealand alongside the U.S. and Japan.
France is deploying surveillance frigate FS Prairial (F731) for the drills. The frigate is based in French Polynesia. The Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) offshore patrol vessel HMCS Max Bernays (AOPV432) will join the drills, as well. Max Bernays is the only RCN ship deployed in the region.
Australian and New Zealand forces will participate while also conducting routine surveillance on North Korean maritime sanctions violations. Fleet oiler HMNZS Aotearoa (A11), as well as P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both countries, will join Annualex between surveillance missions.

Other participating forces will include the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), French Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
It is unclear how long Annualex will run. In 2023, Annualex spanned 11 days, from Nov. 10-20.
“This exercise will strengthen the ties between France, Japan and the United States, following on from the Pacific Steller exercise that took place in February of this year, bringing together 15 units around the French, American and Japanese carrier battle groups,” reads a French Ministry of the Armed Forces news release.
Coinciding with Annualex is Japan’s Self-Defense Force 2025 Joint Exercise, which is taking place at military bases across Japan. U.S. and Australian armed forces will participate in part of the exercise, according to a Japan Joint Staff Office (JSO) news release.
The JSDF will deploy approximately 52,300 personnel, 4,180 vehicles, 60 ships and 310 aircraft. The U.S. will contribute 5,900 personnel and another 230 troops from the Australian Defense Force will participate. No details were given on U.S. assets participating in the drills.
Troops will drill on anti-ship attack training using Japan’s mobile anti-ship missile launchers, as well as amphibious and airborne operations in Japan’s southwest region. Base security exercises will be conducted on Japanese and U.S. military bases. Japan’s ground forces will rehearse deployments via rotary wing aircraft and sea transportation, partnering with U.S. Navy amphibious ships. A Japanese submarine will also dock at U.S. port facilities to conduct a replenishment.
The exercise will conclude Oct. 31. (Dzirhan Mahadzir/USNI News)