Hanoi (VNA) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) are strengthening cooperation in disaster response and cybersecurity through a series of joint exercises, as the region continues to face frequent natural disasters and increasingly complex non-traditional security challenges.
The "Exercise Tempest 41-2026" officially commenced on June 5 under the framework of the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT) Programme. The exercise aims to enhance coordination capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
AFP Public Affairs Office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said the exercise brings together representatives from 17 MPAT member countries, as well as humanitarian organisations and civilian agencies. Activities focus on crisis response planning, improving interoperability among participating forces and strengthening coordination mechanisms for large-scale natural disasters and emergency situations.
Established in 2000, MPAT seeks to promote military cooperation and crisis response across the Asia-Pacific region. The programme currently includes 31 member countries, including the Philippines, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the UK, France, Canada, Germany and New Zealand.
The AFP said that the participation in Tempest 41-2026 is particularly significant as the Philippine military serves as the country's primary force for search and rescue, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance operations. The exercise also supports the Philippine government's comprehensive approach to disaster risk management and reduction.
Colonel Trinidad said the activity demonstrates the AFP's commitment to building sustainable partnerships and enhancing regional cooperation to improve collective preparedness and response capabilities for natural disasters and complex emergencies.
In addition to disaster relief cooperation, the Philippine and US militaries are also expanding collaboration in cybersecurity.
The Philippine Army recently completed a three-week exercise with the US Army Pacific (USARPAC) under Phase 2 of the Salaknib military exercise.
Philippine Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-ala said the CyberEx FTA training programme was conducted from May 12 - 29 in Taguig City, focusing on strengthening cyber defence capabilities, cyber incident investigations, data traffic analysis and responses to simulated cyberattacks.
According to the AFP, the training activities helped enhance the technical expertise and cyber readiness of participating units.
Philippine Army Commander Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete said the military is accelerating efforts to modernise its cybersecurity capabilities through system upgrades and personnel training in order to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of the modern security environment./.
