By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – An official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Thursday that shore-based anti-ship missiles (SBASMs) will be deployed during the 10th iteration of the AFP Joint Exercise Dagat-Langit-Lupa (DAGIT-PA) late this month.
The joint exercise, to be joined by all services of the AFP, is scheduled from Nov. 17 to 27 and will be conducted across Northern Luzon, the Western Command, and the National Capital Region.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in an interview with PTV-4’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, said the deployment of the SBASMs will be done in support of the exercise’s joint maritime strike operation.
“We are also conducting activities involving the deployment of our land-based capabilities. Diyan po sa pag-support natin sa joint maritime strike operation, including po iyong movement nito pong SBASM diyan po sa Bolinao, Pangasinan (Part of our support for the joint maritime strike operation is the movement of the SBASM in Bolinao, Pangasinan),” she said.
“So, our objective is to strengthen our capabilities for external and territorial defense. We have to improve our interoperability among our major services. We validate itong mga (these) operational concepts that we have. And of course, (we need to) identify areas where we need to improve.”
Padilla said the joint exercise aims to enhance the military’s capability to operate as one joint force when the need arises.
“(It) tests our forces – how they would plan, how they would communicate together, coordinate, and operate across, over land, air, sea, cyber, and information domain,” she said.
The event covers counter-landing operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief drills, command-and-control, and communication and measures against cyberattacks, she added. (PNA)
