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Bongbong Marcos gains ‘deeper appreciation’ of Balikatan during visit — official
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. observed the culmination of this year's Balikatan exercises, which featured live-fire drills between the Philippines and the United States in Zambales.
The President witnessed a combined joint littoral live-fire exercise where a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship was sunk approximately 2.8 kilometers off the coast.
Marcos expressed optimism that enhanced cooperation with the US through these drills would benefit the Philippines.
Both Filipino and American military officials viewed the training as a concrete display of their shared commitment to bolstering military capabilities and interoperability.
This year's Balikatan, the 38th iteration and the largest to date, involved approximately 17,600 participants.
The exercises aimed to improve interoperability and bilateral capabilities in various areas, including maritime security, amphibious operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, and disaster relief preparedness.
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News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The 2023 Balikatan Exercise, a joint military training between the Philippines and the United States, officially concluded on Friday after opening on April 11.
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The United States and the Philippines concluded their largest-ever military drills, the Balikatan exercises, with a joint live-fire exercise in the South China Sea, firing rockets at a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship.
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The Balikatan combined joint littoral live fire exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Armed Forces in Zambales was declared a success after a mock vessel was sunk.
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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. met with US President Joe Biden at the White House, reaffirming the Philippines' alliance with the US and discussing regional matters.
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Philippine, American, and Australian troops participated in an air assault drill in Ilocos Norte as part of the "Balikatan" exercises.
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