Overview
- Typhon, a truck‑towed launcher for Tomahawk and SM‑6 missiles, fired a Tomahawk early Tuesday from Leyte that hit a target about 390 miles away at Fort Magsaysay in roughly an hour, Philippine officials said.
- Japanese troops launched two Type‑88 anti‑ship missiles from northwestern Luzon that struck and sank the decommissioned Philippine ship BRP Quezon in a live maritime strike exercise observed by defense leaders.
- Multinational forces ran a coastal defense live‑fire on Monday near Laoag that linked drones, jets, helicopters, HIMARS rockets, and ground units to find, track, and destroy a simulated amphibious force before it reached shore.
- Beijing denounced the drills as provocative and Chinese forces conducted patrols near contested waters, underscoring the political friction that accompanies the exercises.
- This year’s Balikatan brings about 17,000 troops from seven nations with larger roles for partners such as Japan, Canada, and New Zealand, reflecting deeper burden‑sharing and more integrated island defense training.