The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) commenced the 8th iteration of the Joint Exercise (AJEX) DAGIT-PA (Dagat-Langit-Lupa) on Monday, November 4.
AJEX DAGIT-PA, an annual unilateral exercise conducted by the AFP, covers the joint area operations of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) and the Western Command (Wescom).
The AFP stated that the exercise, which will run until November 15, involves personnel from all military branches (Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines) who will undergo comprehensive training initiatives utilizing various assets. The goal is to strengthen the AFP’s capabilities in land, air, and maritime operations.
This multiservice exercise will also feature joint operations involving different units from the major services, Wescom, and the AFP Special Operations Command. They will be joined by other government agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police.
The activities will focus on territorial defense, maritime security, and cyber defense, alongside capabilities development training to enhance our forces’ tactics, techniques, and procedures essential for effective coordination during multi-domain operations.
The exercise underscores the AFP’s commitment to enhancing operational effectiveness and maintaining a robust defense posture in an increasingly complex regional security environment.
AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. emphasized the importance of AJEX in the AFP’s ongoing efforts to modernize and adapt to evolving security challenges.
“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,” Brawner stated.
For this year’s exercise, he explained, an operationally focused framework will be used to simulate territorial defense in line with the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept. He added that they will concentrate on the AFP’s “territorial defense plan Bantay Kalayaan.”
He noted that Bantay Kalayaan would only be utilized this year, as the AFP plans to craft new strategies encompassing both internal security and territorial defense operations for the coming years.
Moreover, the AFP chief highlighted that strategic communications have been integrated into defensive operations to ensure accurate information dissemination, countering false statements. He specifically mentioned the China Coast Guard and maritime militia, whose narratives often contradict the actual situation in the West Philippine Sea.
“If the enemy’s narrative prevails, you have already lost that war. The same is happening in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea,” he added.
