Select areas in Luzon will serve as staging grounds of the 2023 iteration of the Philippine–United States “Balikatan” exercises.
The Philippine Army participated in a five-day site survey within these areas which will be concluded on 26 August, Friday.
Militaries from both countries are also set to hold an initial planning conference next week at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Education, Training and Doctrine Command, Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, in preparation for 38th “Balikatan” exercises.
The “Balikatan” between the AFP and US Armed Forces’ Indo Pacific Command is geared toward enhancing bilateral interoperability.
It also aimed at strengthening the capacity and competencies of both forces in a spectrum of military operations such as counter-terrorism; humanitarian assistance; and disaster response.
The 2023 “Balikatan” may include Field Training Exercises composed of combined fire exercises and military operations within the urban terrain.