Philippine Army soldiers and their counterparts from the US Army, US Marines Corps, and the Australian Defence Force conducted air assault operations as part of the ongoing Exercise Balikatan at the Paredes Air Station, Barangay 32 Sapat, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte on Sunday.

Eighty-one soldiers from the 99th Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army together with US Army and Royal Australian Army soldiers conducted air assault operations at the airfield. Participating troops also conducted defensive operations in the area during the exercise.

Balikatan is an annual exercise between Philippine and US militaries designed to strengthen interoperability, enhance capabilities, and deepen trust and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences.

Around 17,600 Filipino and American soldiers are participating in this year's Balikatan ? the largest iteration of the exercise to date. A 111 person contingent from the Australian Defense Force are also part of the military exercises. Philippine Army Office of Public Affairs