Philippine Army, U.S. Army troops conduct Balikatan helocast training

By OACPA
April 29, 2025

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – Philippine Army soldiers from the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions joined forces U.S. Army Pacific's 25th Infantry Division troops for Exercise Balikatan's helocast training in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija on April 27, 2025.

The training, conducted under the guidance of the 25th Infantry Division's Lightning Academy Mobile Training Team, focused on helocasting, a specialized airborne technique that allows small military units to rapidly insert troops into maritime environments. The exercise featured U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters which transported the partipating troops to designated maritime insertion points.

Helocasting is considered a critical skill for both forces operating in the archipelagic landscape of the Philippines where rapid deployment across bodies of water can be essential for military operations.

Exercise Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder" in Filipino, represents one of the longest-standing bilateal military exercises between the Philippines and the United States. The 40th iteration of Balikatan, which will wrap up on May 9, 2025, aims to strengthen the alliance between the two nations while bolstering combined and joint force capabilities and demonstrating shared commitment to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region.