Balikatan 2026: US, Japan, Philippines flex military muscle amid China tensions

About this episode

The episode discusses the Balikatan 2026 military exercises involving the US, Japan, and the Philippines amidst rising tensions with China.

It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a thunderous close with a volley of missiles fired from sites in the far northern Philippines. The Tomahawk...

Topics covered

• military exercises
• US-Japan relations
• Philippines defense
• China tensions
• missile technology

Keywords

• Balikatan
• military exercises
• Japan
• US
• Philippines
• missiles
• China

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Japan, US, Philippines

Products: Type 88 missile, Tomahawk

Places: Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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