Combined ground forces from the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand successfully carried out a joint air assault operation on May 17, 2026, seizing a simulated key target as part of the Joint Pacific Readiness Center Exportable (JPMRC-X) Exercise conducted from Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB) in Capas, Tarlac to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
The operation, conducted under Salaknib Phase 2, involved the Philippine Army, US Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Australian Army, and New Zealand Army working in coordination across multiple domains to demonstrate allied ground combat readiness in a contested archipelagic environment.
Air Assault Mission Spans Tarlac to Nueva Ecija
According to a statement released by Col. Louie G. Dema-ala, Chief Public Affairs of the Philippine Army, coalition troops launched the combined air assault from CERAB in Capas, Tarlac, transporting forces via US Army CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to the Combat Readiness Training Area (CRTA) located within Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
The operation was described as seamless and demonstrated the coalition's capacity for rapid deployment across the archipelago's complex terrain. The use of heavy-lift and medium-utility helicopters allowed troops to insert into contested zones while maintaining operational tempo and coordination among multiple national contingents simultaneously in the field.
The drill specifically highlighted enhanced interoperability — the ability of different national militaries to operate jointly using shared procedures, communications, and tactical frameworks — as well as rapid deployment and coordinated multi-domain capabilities among the participating forces.
JPMRC-X Exercise Framework and Salaknib Phase 2
The air assault drill is among the centerpiece activities of Salaknib Phase 2, the multi-nation exercise series running from May to June 2026. The broader Salaknib exercise is a bilateral exercise between the Philippine Army and the US Army that has expanded in recent years to incorporate allied and partner nations from across the Indo-Pacific region.
The JPMRC-X Exercise, which serves as the overarching operational framework for this phase, is an exportable version of the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center — a US Army program designed to deliver high-quality combat training to partner nations in the Indo-Pacific theater. The JPMRC-X model brings the training framework directly to allied territory, allowing multinational forces to rehearse complex, realistic scenarios within the operational environment they may actually be required to defend.
Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, one of the largest military reservations in the Philippines, provides extensive terrain for combined arms and air assault training, making it a regular venue for large-scale joint exercises between Philippine and allied forces.
Five-Nation Participation Marks Expanded Partnership
The participation of five nations — the Philippines, the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand — in a single coordinated air assault operation reflects the expanding scope of security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. While US-Philippine joint exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) are long-established, the inclusion of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, the Australian Army, and the New Zealand Army marks the continued deepening of multilateral defense partnerships in the region.
Japan's participation is notable in the context of Tokyo's evolving security posture following revisions to its national security strategy, which has emphasized a more active role in regional defense cooperation alongside treaty allies. Australia and New Zealand, as members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and ANZUS treaty partners of the United States, have similarly deepened operational engagement with Philippine and US forces in recent years.
The drill's focus on operating in a "contested archipelagic environment" is consistent with broader allied training priorities in the region, which increasingly emphasize maritime and island-terrain scenarios relevant to potential contingencies in the South China Sea and surrounding waters.
Army Chief Cites Collective Deterrence Through Alliance
Philippine Army Chief Lieutenant General Antonio G. Nafarrete underscored the strategic significance of the exercise in a statement released through the Army's public affairs office.
"Our alliance and key partnerships make us collectively stronger to deter any act of aggression. Through exercises like Salaknib, we enhance our ability to work together, building upon our collective strength towards ensuring a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific Region," Lt. Gen. Nafarrete said.
The Army chief's statement frames the Salaknib exercises within the broader deterrence posture of the Philippine military and its allies, emphasizing that the purpose of joint readiness training is the promotion of peace and stability rather than the escalation of conflict.
CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters Lead the Assault
The US Army provided the primary rotary-wing airlift assets for the operation, deploying both the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter and the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter to insert coalition ground forces into the simulated objective area.
The CH-47 Chinook, a tandem-rotor helicopter capable of carrying up to 55 fully equipped troops or substantial cargo loads, is a mainstay of US Army air assault operations and has been used in numerous joint exercises with the Philippine Army in previous Salaknib iterations. The UH-60 Black Hawk, a medium-utility helicopter widely used for troop transport, medical evacuation, and command-and-control missions, provided complementary lift and operational flexibility during the drill.
Together, the two aircraft types gave coalition commanders the ability to move significant numbers of troops rapidly and in coordinated waves, replicating the tempo and complexity of a real-world contested air assault mission.
Salaknib Exercises: A Foundation for Bilateral and Multilateral Readiness
The Salaknib exercise series, whose name is derived from a Filipino word meaning "to shield" or "to protect," has historically served as the primary annual bilateral exercise between the Philippine Army and the US Army. In recent editions, the exercise has grown in scope and complexity, incorporating additional partner nations and a wider range of scenarios including live-fire drills, combined arms maneuver, medical interoperability, and — as demonstrated on May 17, 2026 — large-scale joint air assault operations.
Phase 2 of the 2026 Salaknib series, running through June 2026, is expected to include additional exercises and training events beyond the JPMRC-X air assault drill. The full schedule of activities for the remainder of Phase 2 had not been released as of the date of this report.
The exercises take place against the backdrop of ongoing regional security dynamics in the South China Sea, where the Philippines has been asserting its sovereign rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, which invalidated China's expansive territorial claims in the area.
Exercise Conducted at CERAB and Fort Magsaysay
Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac, named in honor of a Philippine Army aviator, served as the launch point for the air assault. CERAB is a key facility for Philippine Army aviation operations and has previously hosted joint training activities with allied forces.
Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the designated objective area for the May 17 drill, is the largest military reservation in the Philippines by land area and hosts the Armed Forces of the Philippines' primary combat training facilities. Its expansive terrain and existing training infrastructure make it the preferred venue for large-scale, realistic joint exercises.
The Philippine Army's public affairs office released photographs from the exercise through Kalinaw News and US Army Pacific, providing visual documentation of coalition forces conducting the multi-helicopter air assault operation.
Photo credit: Photos courtesy of Kalinaw News and US Army Pacific