The United States and the Philippines plan to integrate “cutting edge” technology to counter cyber threats during the 2026 edition of Exercise Balikatan.
“On Balikatan, the upcoming 2026 exercise, we’re working to evolve that to reflect this reality that cyber is integral to every military operation,” US Embassy ICT unit chief Jennifer Schmidt said during a panel discussion at the 2025 Pilipinas Conference in Makati City.
“So, we’re working alongside our Filipino partners to incorporate cutting-edge training ranges and robust cyber threat software into these exercise scenarios,” Schmidt said.
She said the two countries’ cyber cooperation is rapidly moving from an emerging area to a “central pillar” in the Philippines-US alliance.
Both have recognized that even future conflicts “may begin in the digital domain.”
“We’re focused on making this progress sustained and scalable by integrating cyber defense across all government levels and fostering really a deeper, more resilient technical partnership,” Schmidt said. Rex Espiritu
“This whole alliance approach helps ensure military interoperability is seamlessly connected with national critical infrastructure protection,” she added.
The 2026 Balikatan is expected to include more than 500 joint military activities ranging from large-scale exercises and smaller subject matter expert exchanges.
The iteration is also expected to host Canada’s largest contingent to Balikatan.
In the same panel session, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said Canada will also continue its cybersecurity support in the Philippines through capacity-building efforts. Rex Espiritu
The United States and the Philippines plan to integrate “cutting edge” technology to counter cyber threats during the 2026 edition of Exercise Balikatan.
“On Balikatan, the upcoming 2026 exercise, we’re working to evolve that to reflect this reality that cyber is integral to every military operation,” US Embassy ICT unit chief Jennifer Schmidt said during a panel discussion at the 2025 Pilipinas Conference in Makati City.
“So, we’re working alongside our Filipino partners to incorporate cutting-edge training ranges and robust cyber threat software into these exercise scenarios,” Schmidt said.
She said the two countries’ cyber cooperation is rapidly moving from an emerging area to a “central pillar” in the Philippines-US alliance.
