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Largest Bilateral Exercise: Balikatan is the largest military exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States military. Why: Highlights the scale and importance of the cooperation.
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Deterrence Focus: Exercise simulates a “full-scale battle scenario,” aimed at deterring potential aggression in the region, implied to be China. Why: Indicates the strategic purpose of the exercise and its geopolitical context.
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Mutual Defense Treaty Support: Balikatan is designed to enhance military interoperability and readiness in support of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines. Why: Reinforces the legal and strategic basis for the exercise.
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40th Iteration: The 2025 exercise marks the 40th year of Balikatan. Why: Emphasizes the long-standing nature of the partnership.
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Full Battle Test (FBT): Balikatan 2025 introduces a Full Battle Test, incorporating real-world forces and events into a virtual scenario. Why: Shows a significant upgrade in the complexity and realism of the exercise.
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Multi-Domain Operations: The exercise spans all domains: air, land, sea, space, and cyber, testing interoperability in defending Philippine sovereignty. Why: Highlights the comprehensive nature of the training, covering modern warfare aspects.
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Four Primary Components:
- Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS)
- Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA)
- Command-and-Control Exercise (C2X)
- Multilateral Maritime Exercise (MME)
Why: Details the specific areas of training and cooperation, showcasing a diverse set of capabilities.
Balikatan 2025
