Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Saturday said that the Philippines is considering making the annual Balikatan exercises with the United States a global event that would include other partners.
Smaller groups of Australian soldiers have joined Philippine and US forces in combined military training in recent years, and delegations from other nations, such as Japan, have been dispatched as observers.
Only two countries have visiting force agreements with the Philippines: the United States and Australia.
During the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue, Galvez mentioned that they are exploring the possibility of expanding the bilateral Balikatan exercises into a multilateral exercise.
In late April, Filipino and American troops completed the largest-ever Balikatan exercises, in which approximately 18,000 personnel, including over 100 Australian soldiers, took part.
For the first time, live fire training was conducted in Philippine waters, as witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines previously stated that it is already planning for next year's Balikatan, with Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino stating that more locations and expanded involvement from other allies are being considered.
