The Philippine Army troops trained side-by-side with their U.S. counterparts in a shoulder-to-shoulder "Balikatan" live fire drill that concluded on March 31, 2022, at the Crow Valley Gunnery Range in Barangay Santa Juliana, Capas, Tarlac.
The live fire drill—spearheaded by the Philippine Army and U.S. Army Pacific (jointly called the Combined Army Forces or CARFOR)—saw the action of around 500 Filipino and American soldiers. The exercise is geared at enhancing the Philippine Army’s land maneuver capabilities and strengthening interoperability of both armies.
The Armor Division and the Artillery Regiment deployed armored personnel carriers equipped with remote control weapon systems and 105mm howitzers for the exercise. For its part, the U.S. military deployed infantry brigade combat teams, a field artillery battalion equipped with howitzers and mortars, an engineering battalion, and a high-mobility artillery rocket system.
Dubbed as the largest-ever iteration of Balikatan, around 8,900 Filipino and American servicemen are taking part in the 12-day training exercises geared at strengthening interoperability and improving both militaries’ readiness to respond to various security threats and crises.
Photos: TRADOC, PA/ AAR/ ARMOR, PA
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