A new military command will be formed this year to handle strategic operations aimed at enhancing deterrence against security challenges, the Armed Forces the Philippines said.
Military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the new AFP Strategic Command will oversee, among others, joint military exercises with international security allies and partners.
“We are setting up this year the Strategic Defense Command or the Strategic Command which will be the one in charge of exercises with our allies and our partners so that we sharpen the knife, we improve the systems, and we are able to act swiftly,” he said in his speech during the first-ever Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) exercise over the weekend
The IAMD, which took place in San Antonio, Zambales, was part of the three-week “Balikatan,” the biggest military exercises between the Philippines and the United States.
Brawner said he wants the unit to be inspired to the new Joint Operations Command (JOC) of Japan, one of the country’s closest security partners.
Launched in March, JOC is in charge of all joint operations and integrates all the branches of the Japan Self-Defense Force to respond to potential emergencies seamlessly.
“Several armed forces around the world are also adapting to the ever-evolving face of defense that we are facing,” he said.
The Balikatan exercises are currently under the AFP’s Education, Training, and Doctrine Command.
