Historic Missile Firing from Philippine Soil Signals Deepening Japan-Philippines Security Ties

During Balikatan 2026, Japan fired two Type 88 anti-ship missiles from sand dunes near Laoag—the first combat deployment on Philippine soil since WWII—over a six-minute flight to hit a decommissioned minesweeper 47 miles away. The exercise, overseen by a US Marine unit, also featured a GMLRS rocket from a US HIMARS and other simulated attacks, highlighting strengthened Japan-Philippines defense cooperation amid regional tensions with China. Philippine and Japanese defense leaders attended the event, and Manila plans to expand security ties and potentially buy more Japanese equipment in the future.