The 1MDTF soldiers were joined by members of the Philippine Air Force, 960th Air and Missile Defense Group, who participated alongside their partners as part of the Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) program, and U.S. Marines with the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion’s Ground-Based Air Defense Battery who employed the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) during this multi-day live-fire event.

“This is a great opportunity for joint training alongside our short-range air defense counterparts from the U.S. Marines,” said U.S. Army Capt. Bray McCollum, battery commander of 1-51 ADA’s Integrated Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) battery.

This is the first time the Army’s IFPC-HPM has been employed in the Indo-Pacific and tested in a tropical environment. This advanced equipment supports the U.S.-Philippine Alliance through enhancing combined military cooperation and advancing our shared commitment to a secure, stable, and free Indo-Pacific region for all.

The IFPC-HPM is a Directed Energy (DE) weapon system that emits a beam of microwave energy that can disrupt, disable, or destroy Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The IFPC-HPM is the first material released DE weapon system specifically designed to counter groups and swarms of drones. The 1st MDTF was the first unit to field the HPMs in February 2024 and has since been conducting tests across a range of environments.

In another first for the Indo-Pacific region, the IFPC-HPM and FS-LIDS were used together in a complementary system. FS-LIDS is another counter-UAS capability that has been operationally deployed in the middle east for the past decade. Together with the IFPC-HPM it can be used for the sensing, tracking, and disabling of UAS while allowing IFPC-HPM operators to gain positive identification of the UAS target using its electro-optical infrared camera. Both systems can be used to disable the targets. This creates a layered defense of non-kinetic effects to defeat small UAS.

“During this test, we were able to demonstrate that we can successfully defeat drone swarms in a tropical environment using layered effects,” said McCollum.

The results of the test will be analyzed by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) who manage the development, prototyping, and testing of the Army’s Directed Energy weapons. The results will be used to improve the effectiveness in countering UAS swarms and help inform the Army’s future force requirements.

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines learned about the IFPC-HPM and FS-LIDS as part of the SMEE program, strengthening their partnership with the U.S. and giving them the skills that could enhance their role in national defense.

“This is a great opportunity to show our Philippine Allies the cutting-edge capabilities that the U.S. Army has in development,” said McCollum, “This training demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our ties with our Indo-Pacific allies and partners.”

As a theater-level unit and joint force enabler, assigned to the Indo-Pacific, the 1st MDTF plays a vital role in synchronizing long-range precision fires layered with long-range precision effects to create multiple dilemmas and neutralize adversary anti-access and area denial networks. The MDTF’s proven innovation, agility, and lethality have led the Army to direct five full MDTFs in strategically significant locations worldwide.

Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability.

By MAJ Ian Sandall, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales, Philippines — The 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion from the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force conducted drone, high altitude balloon, and electromagnetic warfare training alongside Philippine counterparts at Palawan and Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui during the annual 2025 Balikatan exercise.

The battalion is honing its skills on reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and non-kinetic effects using ground-based EW systems, ultra-long endurance, solar powered Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and High-Altitude Balloons (HABs).

A key highlight of the training includes extending network communications for retransmission of signals between multiple aerial capabilities.

“These long-range high endurance UAS are capable of establishing network connectivity between multiple aircraft at long distances,” said Maj. Malcolm Royer, Electronic Warfare Sensing Company commander. “We’re continuing work to extend that range.”

Prior to Balikatan 2025, the unit was at Yakima Training Center in Washington, conducting Static Focus 3, the Army’s first battalion-level All-Domain Home Station Training exercise. This training, held from March 3-14, 2025, was the first time Soldiers were able to operate all MDEB capabilities in a completely live environment. The soldiers were able to bring this knowledge with them to Balikatan 25.

“Static Focus is our annual training and risk reduction exercise to build multidomain teams with capabilities for all domain operations from every company across the MDEB,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joe Mroszczyk, 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion Commander, “Our Soldiers are identifying best practices and training our headquarters elements to operate at dispersed locations ahead of doing the same in the Philippines.”

During Exercise Balikatan 25, the unit trained alongside members of the Philippine Air Force, conducting multiple training balloon launches and UAS sorties. They also coordinated with PAF airspace controllers to deconflict airspace for both Philippine and U.S. air traffic, supporting reconnaissance for the HIMARS live-fire operations conducted by their sister Long Range Fires Battalion. This seamless coordination supports the combined U.S.-Philippine force land-based counter maritime capabilities.

As part of the training, the unit mounted a UAS launch cradle onto the roof of a Philippine Air Force vehicle, showcasing the potential for future collaboration with the PAF in conducting fixed-wing launches from an airstrip.

This type of collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines during Balikatan 25 enhances our interoperability and helps strengthen our partnership and commitment to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability.

By MAJ Ian Sandall