DEFENDER is the Army’s largest annual opportunity to exercise moving personnel and equipment into theater across modes for initial and follow-on operations critical to Large Scale Combat Operations. Led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the exercise focuses on the strategic deployment of CONUS-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stock and follow-on exercises demonstrating lethality and interoperability with Allies and partners

DEFENDER 25 Outreach tour
DEFENDER 25 Infographic

Videos
Video by Lance Cpl. Maksim Masloboev
Balikatan 25: U.S. Marines deploy NMESIS to Basco
Exercise Balikatan
April 28, 2025 | 4:02
U.S. Marines with Medium-Range Missile Battery, 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division load a Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System onto a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to 39th Airlift Squadron during Exercise Balikatan 25 at Lal-lo, Philippines, April 26, 2025. This marks the inaugural deployment of the newly fielded Marine Corps weapon system to the Philippines and serves as a major milestone for the continuously developing U.S.-Philippines Alliance. 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 Lance Cpl. Maksim Masloboev)
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    FinlandItalyLatviaLithuaniaNorwaySwedenSlovenia

  • Immediate Response

    AlbaniaBulgariaCroatiaGreeceKosovoMontenegroNorth MacedoniaSlovakia

  • Saber Guardian

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Press Information

enlightenedTo find information about filing a claim related to exercise DEFENDER activities, visit Claims Information and select your country.