War games primer: Assets PH, US troops are using in Balikatan 2024

MANILA, Philippines – Balikatan 2024, the latest iteration of the yearly military drills between the Philippines and the United States, has been touted as the “most effective, most ambitious, and most complicated” yet.

Across several areas in Luzon, thousands of Filipino and American soldiers, as well as a hundred or so Australian soldiers, will participate in drills that focus on defending the Philippines.

What does it mean when a military exercise takes on its “most complicated” version?

Lieutenant General William Jurney, commander of the US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific and Balikatan US exercise director, explained it this way: activities this year are designed to both showcase and test how well the two militaries work together. Complex military operations, after all, can’t just be coordinated through something like a group chat.

Interoperability refers to the level of ease in which different units – in this case, the two militaries – can work together. It involves communication between people, equipment, and systems.

Here’s a peek into the assets from both the Philippines and the US that will be playing roles in various exercises during the weeks-long event. The list is not exhaustive, but includes most of the major assets the two militaries are deploying for Balikatan 2024.

(All illustrations by Nico Villarete and Guia Abogado)