U.S. and Allies Unleash Major Combat Drills in Philippines as Pacific Tensions Simmer

MANILA — American troops from the famed 25th Infantry Division, alongside Filipino forces and a multinational coalition, launched the second and most intense phase of Exercise Salaknib on Thursday, bringing a full-scale combat training center straight into the heart of the Indo-Pacific.

The Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise officially kicked off on May 8 and will run through May 20, transforming Philippine terrain into a realistic battlefield laboratory for complex, multidomain operations.

This is Part II of the bilateral Salaknib drills, designed to sharpen soldiers’ skills in the exact archipelagic environments where they may one day have to fight.
“Our alliance with the Philippines is steeped in history — over 75 years as America’s oldest treaty ally,” said New Zealand Army Col. Aidan Shattock, deputy commanding general for interoperability with the 25th Infantry Division. “This is playing out with deep trust and understanding as we rehearse together during Operation Pathways.”

The 25th Infantry Division is taking center stage as the U.S. Army’s spearhead for modernization in the region. Troops are deploying cutting-edge tools: swarms of unmanned aircraft systems for superior battlefield awareness and the brand-new M7 rifles and M250 automatic rifles now arming infantry squads at the cutting edge of modernization.
Beyond bilateral training with the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division, the exercise draws in partners from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan — a clear signal of collective strength.
“Exercises like JPMRC-X demonstrate our enduring commitment as the land partner of choice, strengthen our allies and deter aggression together,” Shattock added.

All activities are being carried out in close coordination with the Philippine government and local officials to ensure civilian safety while deepening the rock-solid U.S.-Philippine partnership.
Now in full swing across challenging Philippine terrain, Salaknib stands as the latest and most visible demonstration of the enduring alliance, blending combined arms firepower, high-tech integration, and readiness to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open.
The drills come at a time when regional stability remains a top priority for Manila and its treaty allies.