A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, operated by the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry was at the center of a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
LA PAZ SAND DUNES, Philippines — On a stretch of windswept coastline facing the South China Sea, rockets arced across the sky Monday as American, Philippine, Japanese and Canadian troops rehearsed how they might respond to a maritime attack.
The live-fire drill, held near the city of Laoag on Luzon’s northwestern coast, was part of Balikatan, the annual military exercise that has grown in size and complexity as tensions simmer in the region.
About 700 U.S. soldiers and Marines trained alongside roughly 250 Philippine troops, 60 members of Japan’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and 50 Canadian forces. Japan and Canada were participating for the first time.
From a nearby observation tent, military officials and international observers watched as missiles streaked over the dunes toward simulated targets at sea.
U.S. soldiers rush to fighting positions during a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
American soldiers gather on the beach following a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
The setting has strategic importance. The training ground lies along the South China Sea, where the Philippines has ongoing territorial disputes with China, and sits about 50 miles from the Luzon Strait, a key waterway between the Philippines and Taiwan.
At the center of the drill was HIMARS — the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System — operated by the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division. The system, which has been used extensively in recent conflicts, is being adapted for a broader range of missions.
“It extends the reach of our forces,” Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees, the division’s commander, told reporters gathered on the dunes.
During Balikatan in 2023, the U.S. Army fired six HIMARS rounds but failed to strike a target ship off Luzon’s western coast.
However, recent testing over a range of more than 200 miles by Lockheed Martin has shown that a newer weapon fired by HIMARS, the Precision Strike Missile, can engage moving ships at sea, potentially expanding the system’s role in maritime operations.
The La Paz training also highlighted a growing reliance on unmanned systems. Drones – both airborne and operating on the water – moved offshore and buzzed overheard as the troops targeted the simulated invaders.
“All nations are looking at more unmanned systems,” Bartholomees said.
Explosions spray water off Luzon’s northwestern coast during live-fire coastal defense training near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The drill was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
Japanese and Philippine troops pose with their flags following a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
Maj. Gen. James Batholomees, commander of the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division, speaks to reporters following a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
Not all systems performed flawlessly. U.S. soldiers fired Stinger missiles at aerial targets, but some missed, streaking out over the water.
Philippine aircraft conducted strafing runs over the water, helicopters swept over the area, and artillery units fired toward offshore targets. Finally, infantry from all four countries took positions in the sand, engaging moving targets with rifles and machine guns.
Elsewhere during Balikatan, U.S. forces have deployed HIMARS units and Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems to the Batanes Islands, the Philippine territory closest to Taiwan, to practice controlling key maritime corridors.
“We would like to promote good order in this part of the world,” Maj. Gen. Aristotle Gonzales, of the Philippine air force, told those gathered to watch the drills. “We are simulating an exercise in anticipation of any force that might come but not directed toward any particular country.”
Japanese officials signaled that their role in the Philippines could grow. Maj. Gen. Musha Toshikatsu, commander of the amphibious brigade, said his country plans to send a larger force to future exercises.
Balikatan, which kicked off April 20, is slated to end Friday.
U.S. soldiers fire at moving targets during a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
A drone vessel patrols Luzon’s northwestern coast during a live-fire coastal defense drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
