The Philippine Navy will join India and 10 Southeast Asian countries in a major maritime exercise later this year as participating navies strengthen their ability to work together at sea.
The ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise 2026, or AIME 2026, will run from September 28 to October 2, with the Philippines and India serving as hosts.
The exercise will bring together the navies of the Philippines, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Timor-Leste and Brunei.
Organizers said the activity is intended to improve cooperation among regional navies and strengthen their ability to respond jointly to maritime security concerns.
It will carry the theme “Anchored in Trust, United at Sea.”
The Philippine Navy said preparations were further coordinated during the AIME 2026 Final Planning Conference held Aug. 10 to 12 in Pasay City.
Commodore Lued Lawan Lincuna, commander of the Naval Defense Command, co-chaired the conference with Commodore Amaninder Singh Sangha of the Indian Navy.
Representatives from the participating navies also joined the meeting, including Philippine Navy planners and working group leaders who finalized details for the exercise.
Lincuna said cooperation is increasingly important as countries in the region share the same maritime environment and depend on the sea for trade, transportation and security.
“As maritime nations, we recognize the sea as a vital link that connects peoples, facilitates economic activity, and contributes to collective security,” Lincuna said.
He said the maritime environment is becoming more complicated, requiring countries to improve coordination not only against traditional security threats but also against emerging and nontraditional challenges.
“From safeguarding vital sea lines of communication to responding to emerging maritime security concerns, collective effectiveness depends on the ability of nations to cooperate, communicate, and operate together with confidence and professionalism,” Lincuna said.
Sangha said India’s long-standing ties with ASEAN provide a foundation for deeper cooperation among their navies.
He said closer coordination is needed as maritime challenges continue to evolve across the Indo-Pacific.
“Challenges in the maritime domain are evolving, and thus a collective resolve is a must in order to maintain a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region,” Sangha said.
The exercise is expected to give participating navies an opportunity to practice coordinated maritime operations while building trust and strengthening regional partnerships.
For the Philippines, the activity also provides another avenue to work with neighboring countries and India on maintaining maritime security and stability in the region.
