More than 3,000 military personnel will participate in the annual Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Joint Exercise (AJEX) “DAGITPA” (Dagat-Langit-Lupa) exercises which will focus on beefing up external defense capabilities, AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.
“This year’s exercise will adopt an operationally focused framework enabling us to simulate our territorial defense plan Bantay Kalayaan alongside a Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC),” he said during the event’s opening rites at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The CADC is a defensive shift, earlier announced by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., that aims to secure the country’s entire territory, along with its exclusive economic zone.
Brawner also said the eighth iteration of “AJEX DAGITPA”, which runs until Nov. 15, shows the AFP is ready to “confront real-world challenges on” and that it is able to safeguard the nation’s interests with “determination and courage.”
Highlighting the importance of information in modern warfare, Brawner said the AFP is introducing the “information warfighter exercise” in this year’s joint drills.
“This highlights the critical need for strategic communications and information operations in modern defense operations. As the nature of warfare evolves, we must equip ourselves not only with the physical readiness but also with robust capabilities in the digital and informational domains. In the previous AJEX, sinama na natin ‘yung (we included) cyber exercise so we will continue on with that,” Brawner said.
Through united efforts, the AFP chief said that the military can address the multifaceted challenges ahead.
“And it is essential that we forge stronger partnerships within our forces and with our national and international allies. So even if we say that this is a unilateral exercise, we will still be involving our allies and our partners and also the other government agencies in the Philippines,” he added.
The exercise will involve the Navy, Air Force, Army, and Special Operations forces.
“Our objective in this exercise is for our soldiers to become experts in territorial defense. We have been doing this exercise for eight iterations already,” Brawner Jr. told reporters.
The exercise includes a range of activities, including command post exercises, field training exercises, cyber warfare simulations, and, for the first time, information warfare exercises. “We will also include information warfare exercises,” Brawner added.
Island seizure exercises will be conducted in the western portion of Palawan, AJEX DAGIT-PA executive agent Colonel Michael Logico said.
“The area of the West Philippine Sea will be conducting series of exercises. All of which will be taking part of the western portion of Palawan,” Logico said.
“We will be having island seizure exercises, amphibious counterlanding exercises, and air defense exercises. Kasama dyan yung joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and maritime security exercises,” he added.
Major General Marvin Licudine, AJEX DAGIT-PA Exercise Director, announced that exercises will occur within the Western Command and Northern Luzon Command.
“This exercise provides us with an invaluable opportunity to hone our skills, ensuring the interoperability and effectiveness of our joint forces in the face of evolving security challenges. Our mission today is very clear, to prepare ourselves comprehensively to respond to any external threats that might challenge our sovereignty. “ Brawner added.
The exercise will run until November 15.
