Japan to join US-Philippines military drills for first time: ‘knowing your friend’

Japan plans to deploy 300 elite ground soldiers to the Philippines for this year’s Salaknib military exercise, marking the first time the bilateral US-Philippine drills will include troops from additional partners.Officials and analysts say the move signals an operational shift away from simple bilateral engagements towards tight-knit “minilateral” security coordination among US allies, with a growing focus on remote island defence and contingencies in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.Roughly 5,000 soldiers from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia are set to take part in the 2026 iteration of the annual exercise, according to Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete.The drills are scheduled to run in two phases – the first from April to May and the second in June following the larger Balikatan exercise – covering joint combined arms training, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, capacity building and expert exchanges.Soldiers march during a military parade in Manila held to mark the 89th founding anniversary of the Philippine Armed Forces in 2024. Photo: AFPNafarrete said Japan’s inclusion added a new layer of strategic coordination. “It is more about knowing our interoperability with the Japanese Army. This is the first time. Knowing your friend,” he told reporters.