US, partner nations sink two decommissioned ships during Exercise Balikatan

United States, Philippine, Japanese and Canadian forces combined land, sea and air platforms to sink two decommissioned ships off the western Northern Luzon coast during Balikatan 2026 last week, according to a Defense Department release.

Exercise Balikatan, which wrapped up Friday, is the largest annual military exercise between the United States and the Philippines and is designed to improve combined readiness and maritime defense capabilities, while showcasing the countries’ commitment to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific.

The Joint Task Force Maritime Strike, or MARSTRIKE, is a two-day critical live-fire event of the Philippines exercise that took place on Wednesday and Thursday.

The drill brought together sensors, missile systems, aircraft and naval assets from the four countries to coordinate long-range fires against maritime targets.

“The MARSTRIKE demonstrated the strength of our combined and joint force by integrating sensors and shooters across multiple domains to achieve a shared tactical objective,” U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Thomas Savage, commanding general of the U.S. joint task force-forward, said in the release.

On the first day of the exercise, forces sank the decommissioned Philippine Navy vessel BRP Quezon with a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Type-88 surface-to-ship missile, while the U.S. Army used High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to conduct strikes, the statement read.

“Deploying the Type-88 Surface-to-Ship Missile in this complex MARSTRIKE allowed us to validate our tactical integration with U.S. and Philippine forces,” JGSDF Lt. Col. Ishikawa Daisuke said in the announcement.

Philippine Air Force FA-50PH Fighting Eagles and A-29 Super Tucanos also sank the BRP Rajah Sulayman, another decommissioned Philippine Navy ship used as a target on the second day.

Supporting elements throughout the exercise included assets such as the U.S. Marine Corps’ Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System and Marine Air Defense Integrated System, along with fixed-wing aircraft from participating forces, unmanned aerial systems and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown.

“The successful execution of the Maritime Strike activity demonstrates the growing level of interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and our allies,” Philippine Marine Corps Col. Dennis Hernandez, spokesperson for Balikatan 2026, said in the release.