Balikatan 2026: Allied forces strengthen airfield repair readiness through SME exchange
Members of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, left, and U.S. Airmen assigned to the 21st Air Expeditionary Wing, right, speak with Philippine Air Force Col. Reynaldo Gabinete, 355th Aviation Engineer Wing commander, during Exercise Balikatan 2026 at Basa Air Base, Philippines, May 4, 2026. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alondra Cristobal Hernandez)