Balikatan wargames 2026: Canadian military trains for first time with Philippines and allies

By Carlito Pablo

From an observer nation, Canada is making its inaugural active participation in the annual Balikatan military exercise between the U.S. and the Philippines.

Now on its 41^st iteration, Balikatan 2026 runs in the Philippines from April 20 to May 8, 2026.

The direct participation of Canada follows about half a year after Ottawa and Manila inked a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) on November 2, 2025.

The said pact allows the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to work more closely together through joint and multinational operations and exercises in each other’s territories.

Balikatan means “shoulderto shoulder” in Tagalog.

“While in previous years the CAF participated as observers, this year, Canadian personnel will train shoulder to shoulder with partners in areas such as air and missile defence, coastal defence, logistics and sustainment, medical support, maritime strike operations, and multinational coordination,” the Department of National Defence stated in a media release on April 17, 2026.

Meanwhile, the government-run Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that more than 17,000 soldiers from seven participating nations will take in this year’s Balikatan.

Quoting Balikatan Philippine spokesperson Marine Col. Dennis Fernandez, the report stated that troops will come from the Philippines, the U.S., Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand. 

The DND noted in its April 17, 2026 media release that Canada is deploying a broad range of CAF personnel and capabilities in Balikatan 2026.

These military assets include His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown and its embarked CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter; and members of the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI), CAF Cyber Command, Canadian Forces Health Services Group, 

Canadian Forces Military Police Group, and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.

On February 1, 2026, HMCS Charlottetown set sail from its home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.

The Halifax class frigate will support of Operations HORIZON and NEON. Operation HORIZON represents Canada’s military strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Operation NEON is Canada’s contribution to the multinational effort to support United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

The DND described Canada’s active participation in Balikatan 2026 as a “significant step in Canada’s Indo-Pacific engagement”.

“CAF participation in Exercise BALIKATAN is part of Operation HORIZON, Canada’s contribution to promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. This exercise is designed to strengthen long standing partnerships with like minded nations, enhance combined military capability, and reinforce a shared commitment to regional security and stability.”

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command issued a media release on the opening day of Balikatan on April 20, 2026, describing this year’s joint drills as the “most expansive Balikatan exercise to date”.

The release noted that Balikatan “directly supports the 75-year-old U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty”.

A report by the Manila Bulletin newspaper on the eve of the opening of Balikatan quoted the League of Filipino Students (LFS) saying in a statement that these joint military exercises are a geopolitical risk for the Philippines.

The paper wrote that per the LFS, “expanding defense cooperation with the United States under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and related military facilities could turn the country into a forward operating base for potential conflicts in the Asia-Pacific”.

Moreover, LFS warned that the Philippines could become a “target zone of war”, endangering civilian populations in case conflict breaks out.

The SOVFA between the Philippines and Canada builds on the Canada-Philippines Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in January 2024.

A DND media release on November 2, 2025 on the day of the signing of the SOVFA pointed to a “new chapter in Canada-Philippines defence cooperation”.

“The Philippines is one of Canada’s most important defence partners in the Indo-Pacific region. As a democratic nation, it plays a key role in promoting peace and stability in Southeast Asia and upholding respect for international law. 

“Canada recognizes the Philippines’ influential position in the region as we strengthen defence and security cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its members. Continuing to work closely with partners like the Philippines demonstrates Canada’s long-term commitment to support peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” the DND statement read.