U.S. Marines with 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division conduct the Close Air Support Exercise event as a part of Exercise Balikatan 25 at Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base, Philippines, May 8, 2025. The CAS Exercise included participation from U.S. Marines with 3d MLR and F/A-18C Hornets with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons with 14th Fighter Squadron, Philippine Air Force A-29B Super Tucanos with 15th Strike Wing and Combat Air Controllers with 710th Special Operations Wing, and U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawks and F/A-18E/Fs with Carrier Air Wing 17. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Iyer P. Ramakrishna)

U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, insert into the Babuyan Islands via MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 364 to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions with the VXE30 Stalker Unmanned Aerial System during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation as a part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in the Babuyan Island chain, Philippines, May 28, 2025. The MKTSO involved elements of 3d MLR and Philippine Marines with Marine Battalion Landing Team 10 inserting via air into various islands in the Batanes and Babuyan Island chains in order to rehearse securing and defending key maritime terrain with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System. KAMANDAG 9 is an annual Philippine Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Iyer Ramakrishna)

U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, insert the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System via a KC-130J Super Hercules assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352 into the Batanes Island chain during the Maritime Key Terrain Security Operation as a part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in the Philippines, May 25, 2025. The MKTSO involved elements of 3d MLR, U.S. Soldiers with 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, and Philippine Marines with Marine Battalion Landing Team 10 inserting via air and sea into various islands in the Batanes and Babuyan Island chains in order to rehearse securing and defending key maritime terrain with the NMESIS, Marine Air Defense Integrated System, and High Mobility Rocket Artillery System. KAMANDAG is an annual Philippine Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Malia Sparks)