‘Where data flows, power follows:’ Military sets up fusion hub in Northern Luzon for Balikatan

The military has activated a central command and intelligence hub in Northern Luzon to streamline large-scale maneuvers with counterparts from the United States for the upcoming Exercise Balikatan next week. The Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) established its exercise support group (NESG) and a fusion center last Friday, April 17. Lt. Gen. Aristotle D. Gonzalez, commander of NOLCOM, and Col. Jim D. Keirsey, deputy commanding general for operations of the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division, led the activation rites and stressed the need for close coordination and interoperability among forces. They said the newly formed NES) will “oversee, monitor, and supervise all activities related to the planning and execution of Balikatan within NOLCOM’s Joint Operational Area.” Meanwhile, the fusion center will act as a hub for real-time information sharing and coordination among military units and partner agencies. Balikatan, derived from a Filipino term meaning “shoulder to shoulder,” is the Philippines’ largest annual military exercise with the United States. It is conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Indo-Pacific Command, with support from allied and partner nations. The 41st iteration of the exercise this year will run from April 20 to May 8 across several joint operational areas, including Northern Luzon. Around 7,000 troops from the AFP, US, and counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, and Canada will join the war games. Military planners said the creation of support groups and fusion hubs reflected lessons from past iterations of Balikatan as these include the need for faster decision-making and better inter-agency coordination during large-scale exercises.