US-Philippines Joint Air Exercises Begin as Balikatan 2026 Preparations Intensify

The United States and Philippine air forces launched a new round of joint air exercises on April 6, 2026, one of over 500 bilateral military activities approved under 2026 alliance planning guidance — the highest annual activity count in the alliance's history. The exercises are among the pre-Balikatan preparatory activities ahead of the main exercise's scheduled start on approximately April 20, 2026. Exercise scenarios included multi-domain air operations, coastal defense, and anti-access/area denial rehearsals designed to deter Chinese military planners. The pace of US-Philippines joint military activity has accelerated sharply since the August 2025 Mutual Defense Board–Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting in Hawaii approved the expanded framework. The exercises come amid heightened tensions following China's CCG bracketing of the Batanes Islands on April 1, its combat readiness patrol near Scarborough Shoal on March 30, and continued acceleration of Antelope Reef construction in the Paracel Islands.