Balikatan
Military exercise between the Philippines and the United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Exercise Balikatan is the most prominent annual military exercise between the Philippines and the United States. The Tagalog word balikatan means "shoulder-to-shoulder".[1] The exercises have been the cornerstone of Philippines–United States military relations since the closure of U.S. bases in the Philippines.[2]
Part of the Philippines–United States military relations | |
Type | Multinational military exercise |
---|---|
Cause | Philippines–United States Visiting Forces Agreement |
Participants | Armed Forces of the Philippines United States Armed Forces |
Australian armed forces have participated in Balikatan exercises annually since 2014.[3] Australia has a visiting forces agreement, a type of a status of forces agreement, with the Philippines called Philippines–Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.[3] The Philippines is open to other allied countries participating, provided that they too have a similar forces agreement.[3]