Official websites use .mil
Secure .mil websites use HTTPS
The CLLF-W is one of 10 Combined Joint All-Domain Operations events supported by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command J7 Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability during Balikatan 2026. This year marks the most expansive and technologically advanced iteration of the annual U.S.-Philippine exercise to date. The J7 PMTEC team worked with the U.S. Army's Threat Systems Management Office; Capability Program Executive Simulation, Training, Test and Threat, as well as private industry to bring the cutting edge, maritime and aerial drones to the remote CLLF-W location on Palawan. Troops faced maneuvering, autonomous drone targets at sea and aerial drones overhead, forcing them to detect, track, and engage threats in a dynamic, contested environment. U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Nicholas Licalzi, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, led a platoon to establish the defensive frontage. He said the moving targets provided a more realistic, and more valuable training experience. “I have not trained with these types of targets before,” said Licalzi. “Typically, it's just the green Ivan (plastic) targets that bounce up and down whenever you shoot them. But it really is amazing when you can actually assess what the enemy is doing in the battlespace.” “Especially for my job, I'm trying to observe the effects downrange and see what the enemy is doing. Me being up on the line, using binoculars to actually observe targets moving towards me, rather than just someone trying to tell me, ‘Hey, you have some sort of enemy 800 meters away now, 500 meters away.’ I can actually assess those effects and then employ the proper weapon systems I need to employ on those targets. I know the low altitude air defense guys really appreciated the flying targets as well. I think it improves everyone's proficiency.” For Armed Forces of the Philippines’ 1st Lt. Miguel Orozco, commanding officer of the Philippine Marine Corps contingent, the advanced targets inspired a powerful demonstration of unity and shared purpose. “It was awesome, because we have coordinated with our counterparts, with the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand forces, as well as our U.S. Marine counterparts,” said Orozco. “That's why we're able to destroy and intercept the targets—because we had a united effort in order to complete the mission.” Australian Defence Force Maj. Daniel Cole, Combat Team Partner for the ANZAC Combat Team, 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, described the approach to firepower, depending on the targets and their proximity. “We employed Javelins, 84mm, medium, direct, fast support weapon launches, and layered with small rifles, and then small arms fire,” said Cole. “We had a numerous amount of targets; the maritime [targets] were the Javelin targets and the 84mm targets, as well as for the snipers, and then closer as we got to the small arms range, the individual soldier with that rifle was engaging targets that were stationed on the beach itself.” Cole appreciated the realistic, maneuvering targets. “I think because you've got a target that moves around on command, it's far more realistic than a floating target,” said Cole. “I just don't think that's commensurate to what we could expect. Everything we do is battle inoculation. So, the more realistic it is, the less of a surprise it will be when we do it for real.” For many, the experience was as much about building trust as it was about tactics. “The biggest lesson, honestly, is just being able to coordinate with our adjacent units,” said Licalzi. “We're all trying to achieve the same mission, and being able to talk through that and coordinate with those adjacent units, we can achieve those missions.” Cole agreed. “Every time we get to rehearse training with the AFP and USMC, I think it's a really good thing,” said Cole. 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.