Around 16,000 US, PH personnel joining Balikatan 2024 — AFP

U.S. troops look on as Philippine military cadets train at a naval base where the annual joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops called “Balikatan” or shoulder-to-shoulder are held in San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines, April 26, 2023. (REUTERS/File Photo)

MANILA, Philippines — This year’s Balikatan exercise will involve about 16,000 personnel—more than two-thirds of whom are from the United States—according to Col. Michael Logico, the drill’s executive agent.

“The running total that we have as of the moment is 16,000 participants,” Logico said in a regular Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) press conference in Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday.

Logico said that 11,000 are from the US while the rest will come from the AFP.

 “It might seem like a disparity, but the 11,000 [US personnel] also includes the [exercise] support [group],” Logico said.

“They will also have to come in with their own self-contained logistics that also includes civilian contractors and also their regular personnel and other members of other US government that are also coming in,” he added.

The maritime sinking exercise off the coast of Laoag in Ilocos Norte, which is the northernmost mainland province in the country relatively near Taiwan, will be the highlight of the event.

The Philippines, United States and France will also conduct a sail in the West Philippine Sea as part of the Balikatan drills.