NZ Army Takes Jungle Warfare Lessons From Philippines Exercise

The New Zealand Army has completed its first Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines, improving its ability to fight a modern war amid the heat, humidity and venomous snakes and insects of the jungle.

New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, United States, Canada, France and Japan celebrated the successful completion of Balikatan 2026 during a closing ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, Manila last week.

Balikatan, meaning “shoulder to shoulder” in the local Tagalog language, is a bilateral US-Philippines annual exercise designed to strengthen regional security through combined air, land, sea, cyber and space operations featuring maritime drills, coastal defence training, joint live-fire exercises and humanitarian projects.

Around 70 New Zealand Defence Force personnel, primarily from the NZ Army, have been in the Philippines for Exercise Balikatan since mid-April.

About 40 of those personnel are a NZ Army light infantry platoon group from 2nd/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, which was integrated into an Australian Army light infantry company from 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, to form Combat Team Jackal.

The NZ Army light infantry platoon has participated across a range of scenarios, shoulder to shoulder with Australian, Philippine and US personnel against a fictitious opposing force, as part of larger formations that cannot be easily replicated in New Zealand.

They also took part in jungle training delivered by the Philippine Marine Corps, and close-combat shooting in the jungle environment.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) also deployed movement operators, health specialists, cyber specialists, communications experts, and other supporting personnel, gaining valuable experience and demonstrating capability to partners.

In the lead up to Balikatan, defence cooperation between New Zealand and the Philippines has been strengthened.

In the past two years, New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement, held bilateral defence talks, signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, participated as an observer to Exercise Balikatan in 2025, and held an inaugural maritime dialogue.

The NZDF’s participation in Balikatan reflects a strategic commitment to strengthening regional partnerships, enhancing tactical and operational interoperability, and contributing to regional stability in support of the international rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific.

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Tinsley, Senior National Officer for the contingent says New Zealand is fortunate to have likeminded partners within the Indo-Pacific region.

“A shared sense of purpose for maintaining stability and promoting the international rules-based order has made for an excellent working relationship with our partners on Exercise Balikatan.”

The unique environment of the Philippines has provided a valuable training ground.

“Unlike our Australian and Filipino colleagues, we are not routinely exposed to the dangers of heat, poisonous snakes, and virus-carrying insects,” Lieutenant Colonel Tinsley said.

“Facing and overcoming these challenges provides an excellent opportunity to enhance combat effectiveness in environments very different to New Zealand.”

The NZ Army light infantry platoon group as part of Combat Team Jackal is now taking part in Exercise Salaknib, also in the Philippines and involving the host country, Australia, Japan, the United States, and for the first time New Zealand.

Salaknib’s focus is conducting complex, multi-domain operations, including live-fire events, aviation and counter mobility operations and jungle training.

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