During the Exercise Balikatan 2026 held this month, Philippine, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, and U.S. Navy forces cooperated in testing anti-ship missiles, with the star of the show being the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Type 88 anti-ship missile.
One of the test’s goals was to show the Philippine Navy the capabilities of Japanese naval weapons as Japan has recently loosed its restrictions on military exports.
To test the missile, a target was needed, so the decommissioned BRP Quezon was chosen. The Quezon has changed hands over the decades, serving with two navies. Prior to its tenure with the Philippine Navy where it served as a corvette from 1967 to 1980, it was named the U.S.S. Vigilance, an Auk-class minesweeper built during World War II and first entered service in 1944.
The test was successful, and the Quezon was sunk within just a few minutes after two missiles were fired. The second missile missed entirely, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, but that didn’t matter, as the damage was done.
The ship’s past wartime service
As the U.S.S. Vigilance, the 221-feet, 2-inches long ship had a storied career escorting other ships to and from Pacific Islands during the Allied Forces island hopping campaign in the latter stages of the war. It was awarded three battle stars during its time at sea and was responsible for not only protecting naval convoys from mines, but aided in the rescue of sailors whose ships were sinking. Additionally, it was credited with shooting down Imperial Japanese planes in defense of other Allied ships.
The exercise also saw the use of the U.S. Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and A-29 Super Tucanos from the Philippine Air Force. The HIMARS has been used extensively in the Russian-Ukraine War and the A-29 Super Tucano is renowned for its low cost and hyper flexibility to be outfitted for multiple types of missions.
Cooperative military exercises like Exercise Balikatan 2026 are held frequently and ensure that the world’s militaries are able to work with one another in a cohesive way if needed. Even using decommissioned World War II naval vessels for target practice isn’t out of the ordinary.
