US, Philippines Launch Dual-Phase Exercise SABAK 2025 with 5,000 Troops

The joint drills involve warfighting training across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace and focus on combat readiness and defense cooperation..

A Filipino soldier uses a controller to deploy a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), as part of joint army-to-army drills between the United States and the Philippines, in Laur, Nueva Ecija province, Philippines, on Aug. 9, 2024. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

The Philippine army announced on Monday that it started joint military exercises “Salaknib” and “Balikatan” with the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), involving 2,000 U.S. troops and 3,000 Filipino military personnel.

With its focus on combat readiness and defense cooperation, the two-phase operation will run from March 24 to April 11, then resume on May 19, and continue until July 20.