For the first time in the history of defense relations between Manila and Tokyo, soldiers from the Philippine Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) fired their weapons side by side in a coordinated live-fire exercise — a milestone that unfolded over two days at Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Santa Juliana, Capas, Tarlac, as part of the ongoing Exercise Salaknib.
The landmark training event, held on May 1 and May 2, 2026, saw ground forces from both nations maneuver across the sprawling lahar fields of the Tarlac military installation, testing not only their individual combat capabilities but their ability to operate as a unified fighting force.
Troops and Equipment on the Ground
The Philippine Army deployed more than 200 soldiers drawn from the 1st Tank Battalion for the historic drills. These troops brought four Sabrah Light Tanks into the field — vehicles that represent one of the more significant upgrades to the country's armored combat inventory in recent years.
On the Japanese side, approximately 40 personnel from the JGSDF's Recon Combat Battalion, 12th Brigade, participated in the exercise. The Japanese contingent arrived with four Maneuver Combat Vehicles, which operated in coordinated formations alongside the Philippine Army's Sabrah tanks throughout the two-day program.
Philippine Army Chief Public Affairs Officer Colonel Louie G. Dema-ala confirmed the details of the exercise, citing the participation of the Armor "Pambato" Division in organizing the historic joint drills.
Two-Day Program: Exchange and Live Fire
The exercise was structured across two distinct activities. On May 1, military personnel from both sides took part in a Subject Matter Expert Exchange, which gave technical specialists an opportunity to discuss equipment handling, maintenance procedures, and tactical employment of their respective armored platforms. This knowledge-sharing session was designed to lay the groundwork for the more demanding activity that followed.
On May 2, the two forces moved into the live-fire phase of the exercise. The tactical scenario was built around three core objectives: detecting and locating enemy positions, fixing their coordinates, and delivering coordinated fire to neutralize designated targets. Philippine and Japanese troops maneuvered their armored vehicles in concert, testing how well their communication systems, targeting protocols, and command structures could mesh under realistic training conditions.
Safety remained a priority throughout. Soldiers from both countries rehearsed detailed procedures for managing weapon malfunctions and misfires, ensuring that the exercise maintained operational safety even as realistic conditions were simulated.
Senior Officials Observe the Drills
The significance of the event drew a notable audience of senior military and civilian officials from the Philippines, Japan, and allied partner nations.
Philippine Army Vice Commander Major General Efren F. Morados was present to observe the exercise, joined by Armor Division Commander Brigadier General Ronel R. Manalo. From the Japanese side, JGSDF 12th Brigade Deputy Brigade Commander Colonel Yoshifumi Ogura witnessed the joint operations firsthand.
Also present was US Army Pacific Commander Major General James Bartholomees, who attended as an observer — underscoring the broader multilateral interest in the growing Philippine-Japan security partnership.
The civilian dimension of the exercise was represented by Undersecretary Antonio Habulan, Executive Director of the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces (PCVF), whose attendance highlighted the diplomatic weight of the military cooperation taking place under existing visiting forces agreements between the two countries.
Part of a Larger Exercise Framework
The live-fire event was conducted under Exercise Salaknib 2026, a Philippine Army-led program that directly supports the military's ongoing shift toward External Security Operations. Salaknib focuses on building combined operational capacity with the US Army Pacific and other partner armies from the region.
The current Salaknib phase is scheduled to run from May through June 2026 and follows immediately after the conclusion of Exercise Balikatan, which wrapped up on May 8. Together, these exercises reflect a sustained and intensifying effort by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deepen interoperability with key allies and partners.
What the Exercise Signals
Defense observers view the Philippine-Japan live-fire drill as more than just a training milestone. Japan's defense posture has evolved considerably in recent years, with Tokyo expanding the scope and ambition of its security engagements across the Asia-Pacific. The JGSDF's participation in a live-fire exercise on Philippine soil is consistent with that broader trajectory.
For the Philippine Army, the exercise demonstrated the real-world utility of its newer armored assets. The Sabrah Light Tanks, operating alongside Japan's Maneuver Combat Vehicles, proved capable of integrating into joint tactical formations — a practical test of whether hardware investments translate into genuine operational partnership.
The successful completion of this first combined live-fire drill is also expected to inform future planning. Military personnel from both countries will assess lessons learned from the two-day exercise, with the results potentially shaping more complex joint training scenarios in future iterations of Salaknib.
Building Toward Future Cooperation
The conclusion of the exercise on May 2 does not mark the end of joint Philippine-Japan military activity for this season. Both nations' forces will continue participating in remaining Salaknib activities through June 2026, with opportunities for further combined training on the horizon.
The broader relationship between Manila and Tokyo has grown steadily in recent years, driven by shared concerns about regional stability and a mutual interest in maintaining a rules-based security order in the Asia-Pacific. The live-fire exercise at Capas, Tarlac stands as a concrete expression of that partnership — one that, for the first time, played out not in conference rooms or planning documents, but in the field, with live rounds downrange.
According to the Philippine Army's official statement, the exercise reinforces the service's capability development agenda while deepening the international partnerships the military considers essential to meeting evolving security challenges across the region.
Photo credit: OG7, Armor Division