The Philippine Navy (PN) needs to participate in exercises such as the “Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma ng Dagat” or “Kamandag” to fully develop its capabilities to defend the nation against all forms of threats, its chief said on Thursday.
This was as the 7th iteration of the Kamandag bilateral exercise between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) officially commenced yesterday.
“For the PN, it is imperative that our forces actively participate in such training endeavors to upgrade and develop our capabilities toward fully realizing our vision to become a modern and multi-capable naval force,” Navy Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. said in his speech during the exercises’ opening ceremonies in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
The annual drills would run until Nov. 17 in various locations in Luzon and Mindanao.
A total of 2,749 military personnel will participate in the exercises, of whom 1,732 are from the Philippine Marines Corps, Marine Reservist, Naval Combat Engineering Brigade, Naval Special Operations Command, Philippine Airforce, and Philippine Army.
Some 902 will come from the US Marine Corps, 57 from the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, 50 from Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces, and eight from the United Kingdom Armed Forces.
“By actively engaging in military-to-military training, we also reaffirm our commitment to achieving the highest levels of proficiency and operational readiness of our forces so we can contribute significantly to our maritime nation’s overall defense posture,” Adaci noted.
He said the annual exercises between the PMC and the USMC is more than just a routine military exercise.
“This is a demonstration of the strength and resilience of the partnership between the Philippines and the US, as well as our alliance with Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the UK,” Adaci said.
“The exercise “is purposefully designed to enhance bilateral cooperation and interoperability among participating forces, with a specific focus on improving capabilities in special operations, coastal defense, HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster response) operations, and CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense) support, all in line with operationalizing the Archipelagic Coastal Defense Concept,” Adaci said. Vince Lopez
PH commitment to regional security
Meanwhile, PMC commandant Maj. Gen. Arturo Rojas said “Kamandag” shows the country’s commitment to achieving “regional readiness” and contributes to a secure and stable environment.
“We showcase our ability to work side by side in pursuit of our shared objectives. Together, we send a powerful message to the world, especially to those who may seek to disrupt the peace: that our partnership is unbreakable, our resolve unyielding, and our commitment to defending our nations is always unwavering,” he added.
Rojas also said “Kamandag” has been an excellent platform for the PMC to deepen its understanding of its allies’ capabilities.
“It provides us an avenue to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and foster a spirit of innovation and excellence. As we engage in joint and combined training, we strengthen our ability to operate seamlessly together, further enhancing our interoperability and coordination,” he added.
Brig. Gen. Jimmy Larida, the director of the Exercise Directorate for the Philippine Navy, said: “Although most of our events will be subject matter exchanges, we believe that these activities are very important as we continue to optimize our systems and procedures in warfighting.”
“We are situated in a very dynamic operating environment with vast and porous borders, and we believe that engaging in exercises with our partners will help us achieve our goals not only for a safer and more secure Philippines but for the Southeast Asian Region as a whole,” he added.
Larida clarified that the exercises had nothing to do with the recent tensions in the West Philippine Sea. He said he was not expecting any negative reaction from the exercise as its only purpose was to train the Philippine Marines.
The timing should not also be an issue because Kamandag has always been scheduled annually for the months of October and November, he said.
“Since it is not designed to provoke a certain country, it is not designed to prepare for a particular conflict,” he added.
The Commandant of the Philippine Marines, MGen. Arturo Rojas said the exercise would enhance their regional readiness and contribute to a secure and stable environment as they showcase their ability by working side by side on shared objectives.
“Together we will send a powerful message to the world, especially to those who may seek to disrupt the peace: that our partnership is unbreakable, our resolve unyielding, and our commitment to defending our nations is always unwavering,” Rojas said.
“It has no relationship to what’s happening in the West Philippine Sea, this particular exercise is planned to enhance the interoperability among the participating forces. There is no particular threat we are preparing for, any threats in the future we have to be ready,” added Colonel Gregorio Hernandez, the assistant exercise directorate for Kamandag.
Hernandez added that with the recent cyberattacks on government sites, AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner ordered them to strengthen and protect their cyber security. This is where the US counterpart comes in.In this year’s Kamandag, the military added the major difference from last year is that they would focus on learning from counterparts’ new emerging concepts. For example, from Korea, they expect to learn the basic concepts of maintenance and operations of amphibious assault vehicles.
Larida added that both Japan and the Philippines are prone to disasters and they expect to learn disaster response from their Japanese counterpart.