“The Philippines must modernize not only to defend territory, but also to operate effectively within the increasingly interconnected battlespace”
As the Indo-Pacific becomes increasingly defined by strategic competition, the character of conflict itself is rapidly evolving. Modern warfare is no longer confined to conventional battlefields.
It now extends across maritime, cyber, information, space, and cognitive domains, where coercion can occur without a formal declaration of war and where disinformation can shape the national mindset from within.
It is within this shifting security environment that the Stratbase Institute, in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines, convened a timely forum titled “Building Credible Deterrence Through a Multi-Domain Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization.”
The discussion underscored a strategic reality that policymakers and defense planners can no longer ignore. Credible deterrence today depends not only on military hardware, but on the ability of states to integrate capabilities across multiple domains into a unified defense posture.
Opening the forum, Stratbase Institute President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit emphasized that the Philippines must adopt a broader understanding of national security amid the convergence of gray-zone coercion, cyber threats, and information warfare.
The challenge confronting the country, he suggested, is no longer simply territorial defense but the protection of national sovereignty and democratic resilience in an increasingly contested regional order.
His remarks carry even greater significance as the Philippines approaches the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.
The ruling affirmed the country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea and reinforced the primacy of international law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Yet a decade later, regional realities demonstrate that legal victories alone are insufficient without the capability to defend national interests amidst persistent acts of aggression.
The forum’s central message was unmistakable: the Philippines must modernize not only to defend territory, but also to operate effectively within the increasingly interconnected battlespace.
In remarks delivered on behalf of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Lt. Gen. Arvin Lagamon stressed that “the challenges we face are no longer confined to a single domain.” Threats, he noted, now move simultaneously across “maritime, air, land, cyber, space, information, and cognitive environments at increasing speed and with greater coordination.”
This observation reflects the growing complexity of regional security dynamics. Gray-zone operations continue to test national resolve below the threshold of armed conflict, while cyber intrusions increasingly target critical infrastructure and state institutions. As Lagamon further warned, “disinformation seeks to weaken trust from within,” highlighting how modern conflict now seeks to undermine societies as much as military forces.
The Philippines, as an archipelagic state situated at the crossroads of the Indo-Pacific, faces serious vulnerabilities in this evolving environment. Hence, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is accelerating efforts to transition toward a multi-domain defense framework anchored on interoperability and cyber resilience.
MGen. Ivan Papera, Chief of the AFP Systems Engineering and Modernization Office, pointed to the strategic direction of the Department of National Defense toward a “one theater concept” designed to strengthen multilateral cooperation and capability development. He also emphasized the growing focus on “jointness towards cyberspace and emerging technology” as a central modernization priority.
Cybersecurity emerged as one of the forum’s most urgent themes. BGen. Walter Icaro, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for C4ISTAR Systems, described cyber development as “a critical pillar of the AFP’s pursuit of a resilient and credible deterrence posture.”
He warned that the AFP now faces “persistent network probing and intrusions aimed at sensitive infrastructure and data,” alongside sophisticated disinformation and malign influence operations.
As Icaro explained, “success in the battlefield will now be dictated by the ability to maintain a seamless flow of information across all domains of warfare.” The creation of the AFP Cyber Command and the integration of cyber defense capabilities across the Army, Navy, and Air Force signal recognition that future deterrence depends as much on digital resilience as on conventional firepower.
The forum also highlighted the importance of partnerships in sustaining regional stability. German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke underscored the broader international stakes involved in preserving a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, reflecting the growing recognition that developments in the South China Sea affect not only regional security but also the integrity of international law.
Ten years after the Arbitral Award, the Philippines stands at a strategic inflection point. The challenge before the country is no longer simply asserting maritime rights, but ensuring that legal legitimacy is reinforced by credible capability, institutional resilience, and strategic partnerships.
