AFP opens 2024 joint exercise, focuses on territorial defense

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday opened its annual exercise involving its Navy, Air, Army, and Special Operations forces or "AFP Joint Exercise (AJEX) DAGIT-PA."

“Ang objective po natin sa exercise na ito ay maging dalubhasa ang ating mga sundalo  sa territorial defense. We have been doing this exercise for eight iteration already,” AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters after the opening ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

(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.)

“Marami tayong mga activities na kasama dito. Meron tayong command post exercise, field training exercise, cyber warfare exercise. Nabanggit ko kanina sa speech ko isasama na rin natin yung information warfighting exercise,” he added.

(We have many activities included here. We have command post exercise, field training exercise, cyber warfare exercise. I mentioned earlier in my speech that we will also include the information warfare exercise.)

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.

AJEX DAGIT-PA exercise director Major General Marvin Licudine said more than 3,000 personnel are expected to participate in the exercise that will take place in Western Command and Northern Luzon Command.

“The AFP DAGIT-PA exercise is about 3,000 plus participants and some of the assets of the AFP will be used here. The venues for the exercises will be conducted in the Western Command and Northern Luzon Command,” Licudine said.

The exercise will run until November 15. — RSJ, GMA Intergated News