Balikatan 2026: Assessment and Update on U.S.-Philippines Alliance
On June 4, Aaron-Matthew Lariosa, a security analyst and journalist covering the U.S.-Philippine defense relationship and naval developments in the Indo-Pacific, provided an insightful briefing on the recently concluded Balikatan 2026 military exercises held in northern Luzon, Philippines. Drawing from first hand experience observing coastal defense and maritime strike drills, …