U.S. Marines Conduct Counter-Landing LF - Balikatan 2026
by U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Chase Fortier
April 30, 2026 U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin participated in Exercise Balikatan 2026, a longstanding annual combined counter-landing live-fire exercise, alongside service members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Australia Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force in April 2026 ... that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. In the most expansive Balikatan to date, MRF-D Marines seamlessly integrated with allied and partner forces to showcase coordinated defensive operations to engage and destroy simulated enemy amphibious forces approaching the beach.
“This was great training for the Marines that I’m responsible for as a part of this," said U.S. Marine Corps Col. George Flynn, commanding officer of MRF-D 26. “That interoperability is critical. It just demonstrates what we can do together.”
The combined team kicked off the day’s events with the firing of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and FIM-92 Stinger missile systems engaging moving targets off the coast of Palawan. M252 81 mm mortar and M224 60 mm lightweight mortar systems fired rounds at designated target areas. BGM 71 tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles and FGM 148 Javelin missiles engaged as the simulated enemy landing craft approached. 
April 26, 2026 - A M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) with 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, fires a ripper training round during a counter-landing live-fire in support of Exercise Balikatan 2026 in Palawan, Philippines. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by )(Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Marine Corps photos by Staff Sgt. Bryant Rodriguez.)
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The MRF-D ground combat element, made up of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment with attached ground combat capabilities, provided suppressive fire across engagement zones from M2 .50-caliber heavy machine guns while their Philippine Marine Corps counterparts added artillery firepower to the coordinated defense, and low-altitude air defense systems countered threats from simulated enemy aircraft. For the first time in the Philippines, the MRF-D GCE fired live payloads with a first-person view drone.
The combined force used the advanced field artillery tactical data system to coordinate fires across the multinational force, ensuring deconfliction and maximum effectiveness. 
April 26, 2026 - A U.S. Marine low altitude air defense gunner assigned to 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Rotational Force –Darwin 26, fires a FIM-92 Stinger missile system at airborne targets during a combined live-fire event as part of Exercise Balikatan 2026 in Aporawan, Palawan, Philippines. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Grant Schirmer.)
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Through this demonstration, the collective team highlighted the interoperability achieved through combined and joint planning. By synchronizing weapons systems across multiple nations, from individual crew-served weapons to artillery batteries, the exercise showcased the lethality of the U.S., Philippine, Australian and New Zealand combined force during complex defensive operations.
“The integration of these capabilities is the cornerstone of how this is done,” said Flynn. “Just seeing the integration amongst our allies to work the clearance of airspace, the clearance of the maritime domain, and the clearance by fires in the land domain really set the mark for what can be done in defense of the Philippines.” ----------------------
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