A total of seven international observers will participate in this year’s iteration of ‘Kamandag’ exercises between Manila and Washington, the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) said Monday.
According to the PMC, France and Canada deployed two observers each while Bahrain and Australia sent three observers each. Indonesia and Thailand have one observer each while The Netherlands deployed four. There are 13 foreign observers in total.
This year’s exercise participants include 2,028 Philippine troops (PMC, Marine Reservists, Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard) while the US deployed 2,031 soldiers from its Marine Corps.
South Korea also deployed 80 participants while Japan has 107 and the United Kingdom has six.
In total, this year’s Kamandag exercises has 4,268 participants, including observers.
‘Kamandag’ is shorthand for Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma mula sa Dagat (Ally of the Warriors from the Sea), an annual series of bilateral exercises between the Philippines and United States aimed at enhancing defense and humanitarian response capabilities.
“The exercises aim to strengthen the interoperability between the two countries and continue the collaborative efforts in ensuring regional peace and security in a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the PMC said.
The exercises will run from May 26 up until June 6, 2025.
