PH, US marines open Kamandag exercise; NMESIS to be used in training
At a press conference, PMC commandant Major General Arturo Rojas said a total of around 4,000 participants are expected to join the training, which is set to be completed on June 6.
'We have around 2,000 for the PMC side and around the same number with our USMC counterparts,' Rojas said.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and United Kingdom Armed Forces will also participate in Kamandag.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Bahrain, Canada, New Zealand, among others, will serve as observers.
The US' missile system Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) will be used in training, according to Rojas.
'We'll be using the NMESIS also. Again, be able to learn and sustain what we have, what we did in the past Balikatan,' he said.
The NMESIS will be deployed to the northern Luzon area, according to USMC's Marine Rotational Force - Darwin 25.3 commanding officer Colonel Jason Armas.
'These are scenario-driven exercises where we will conduct operations with the NMESIS, which is a great capability. It extends the commander's operational reach. And what it really does is it continues to validate Force Design 2030 for the USMC,' Armas said.
'And I would argue that it truly enhances the archipelagic coastal defense concept for the Philippine Armed Forces and really moving forward in modernization,' he added.
Among the exercises that will be featured in this year's Kamandag are the following:
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRN) Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE)
Senior Enlisted Leaders Symposium (SELS)
Maritime & Special Operation Forces events
Live Fire Integration
Maritime Strike
Counter-Landing/Defensive Retrograde Operation
Special Operating Forces Strike
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
— RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Collision of 2 Chinese vessels to be taken up in PH-China talks
The recent collision of two Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc will be discussed in the upcoming bilateral consultation mechanism between Manila and Beijing, which will be hosted by the Philippines this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. 'The issues on the bilateral is always discussing everything on the South China Sea. And this is the mechanism that really works because we are the channel of communication,' said DFA Secretary Theresa Lazaro. A week after the incident, warships of Philippines, Australia, and Canada conducted a joint sailing last August 17 near Lubang Island in Mindoro as part of the Philippine-Australia Alon Military Exercises. The Philippine Navy believes that such joint sails with allied countries is effective against coercion by China. 'The presence of foreign warships and aircraft forces a change, results to a slight change in their action. We noticed that there are no coercive or aggressive actions each time there are foreign warships in our maritime domain,' said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea. When asked if the Navy should already get involved in actions against the aggressions by China, Trinidad said: 'The premise itself is speculative in nature….In between that, the details of that, we leave it up to the unified commander. But the AFP will always be there to render assistance when needed, if needed.' But a security analyst is worried that China may retaliate against Philippine forces. 'They have to show that you cannot just get away by causing China to lose face. There will be consequences…'yung nakitang Chinese Coast Guard vessel sa mouth ng Manila Bay, I heard the Chinese Coast Guard is planning to conduct patrol…just within our 12 nautical miles territorial waters….' said Renato de Castro. 'May lumalabas ngayon na inorder yata ng Chinese Coast Guard to see to it, that they will ensure that our Coast Guard could never leave the 12 nautical miles territorial waters,' he added. For its part, the National Maritime Council that the warships of the Philippine Navy will not be allowed to tag along with the Philippine Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc. 'Napakaliwanag ng direktiba ng ating Pangulo, hindi tayo magpo-provoke kasi we do not know what will happen if there two Navy vessels are there. Kasi doon pwede mangyari yung miscalculation, yung misjudgement,' said NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez on Monday. '...and if it ever escalates, it is not to the best interest of our country,' he added. –Vince Angelo Ferreras/NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
USINDOPACOM, AFP renew defense, security commitment in Hawaii meet
Gen. Romeo Brawner, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines was hosted by USINDOPACOM Commander Adm. Samuel J. Paparoof at the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) at Camp Smith, Hawaii. USINDOPACOM The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) renewed their commitment to deepen ties and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific region during the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) at Camp Smith in Hawaii last August 7 to 8, 2025. USINDOPACOM commander Admiral Samuel J. Paparo and AFP Chief of staff General Romeo Brawner approved several joint exercises during the meeting, including the return of Balikatan exercises next year. "During the visit, Paparo and Brawner signed the annual 8-Star memo and activities list, approving guidance and plans for continued collaboration, including Exercise Balikatan 2026, in the coming year," USINDOPACOM said in a statement. "The co-chairs approved more than 500 joint engagements, ranging from large-scale exercises to smaller subject matter expert exchanges. These collaborations foster sustained interaction between both militaries and enhance operational readiness", the command added. USINDOPACOM pointed out that bilateral and multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities "are essential in ensuring freedom of navigation and improving interoperability." The MDB-SEB also renews the shared commitment of Manila and Washington to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which binds both countries to come to each other's aid during an attack. The Mutual Defense Board was established in 1958, and the Security Engagement Board was established in 2006. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
Philippines rules out deploying Navy ships to Panatag
Despite the presence of Chinese vessels, including a People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship, Philippine Coast Guard personnel perform medical evacuation in Ayungin Shoal on Monday, June 17, 2024, an operation that reaches until nighttime. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has said that seven soldiers were hurt, including one who lost his thumb, in the latest incident between CCG and Filipino troops in the area. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The Philippines said on Monday it would not send Navy ships to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, despite recent harassment by Chinese forces, since doing so would be seen as "warlike." National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive is clear: the Philippines must not be the first to provoke. 'Unang-una, ang napakaliwanag ng directive nating Pangulo, whatever we do, we will not be the one to provoke,' Lopez said at the 2nd Quarter Maritime Council press conference. (First of all, the President's directive is very clear—whatever we do, we will not be the one to provoke.) Lopez explained that China had previously deployed a People's Liberation Army warship to the area, but the Philippines has consistently avoided sending its Navy vessel. He noted that deploying a Navy vessel would amount to a 'warlike' posture. 'Bakit? Kasi, once you deploy a Navy vessel there, you come in warlike. Parang nanunot siya ka, nangahamon ka. That is not the policy stance of our government,' he said. (Why? Because once you deploy a Navy vessel there, you come in warlike. It's like you're challenging them. That is not the policy stance of our government.) He added that such encounters could lead to misjudgment and miscalculation, which the Philippines wants to avoid. 'So, hindi tayo magpapabawak kasi we do not know what will happen if two Navy vessels are there. Kasi doon pwede mangyari ang miscalculation, misjudgment. And that is the thing that we do not want.' (We will not escalate because we do not know what will happen if two Navy vessels are there. That's where miscalculation and misjudgment could happen, and that is what we do not want.) Lopez maintained that prudence, not weakness, drives the government's stance, stressing that an escalation would harm not just Manila but also Beijing and the wider region. 'If ever it escalates, it is not in the best interest of our country. It is not even in the best interest of China for that matter or of the region. So, we might as well tone it down and bring it down to a level that we can manage.' (If ever it escalates, it is not in the best interest of our country. It is not even in China's best interest, nor for the region. So we might as well tone it down to a manageable level.) Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said contingency measures are in place should tensions further escalate. 'Well, what the government is doing, in particular the Philippine Coast Guard, is to make sure that we are deploying skippers of the vessels who are excellent in seamanship skills,' he said. 'Contingency measures or plans are in place. So, sinasabi naman na yung hope, but actually we are planning for the worst scenario,' he added. (Contingency measures or plans are in place. People may say we are hoping, but actually we are planning for the worst scenario.) 'Whatever happens, actually our government is prepared for anything without going into the details.' China claims almost the entire South China Sea, with Manila referring to parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. Beijing's heavily contested territorial claims in the SCS have led to multiple maritime incidents involving the Philippines over the years. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
