Balikatan 2026 Officially Opens: Gen. Brawner Declares Exercise Open at Camp Aguinaldo; Japan Fires Type 88 Anti-Ship Missiles in Historic SINKEX

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. officially opened Exercise Balikatan 41-2026 at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on April 20, declaring: 'I hereby declare Exercise Balikatan 41-2026 officially open starting today. Let this exercise not only demonstrate our readiness but affirm our commitment to stand together, to act together, and when necessary, defend together.' The 41st and largest-ever iteration involves 17,000+ troops from seven nations — Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand — with 18 observer nations, running April 20 through May 8. AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla described the drills as marking 'a significant shift from traditional drills to joint all-domain operations.' Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi traveled to the Philippines to observe the historic exercise, in which Japan is deploying approximately 1,400 JSDF troops carrying weapons — the first combat-capable Japanese overseas deployment since World War II. A centerpiece of Japan's participation is the Type 88 Surface-to-Ship Missile (SSM-1) exercise, including a planned SINKEX (ship-sinking exercise) against decommissioned Philippine Navy vessel BRP Quezon (PS-70), executed by coordinated Japanese, Philippine, and US forces. The Type 88 SSM has an operational range of approximately 150 km with active radar homing terminal guidance. JS Ise (helicopter destroyer), JS Shimokita (landing ship), and JDS Ikazuchi (destroyer) are among Japan's naval contribution. Small activist protests by organizations including Bayan and the League of Filipino Students were held at Camp Aguinaldo around the opening ceremony, raising concerns over sovereignty and community impact. INDOPACOM and AFP leadership described the exercise as 'the correct path forward' for Philippine defense posture amid escalating Chinese gray-zone operations.