A NEW military unit that will oversee the conduct of military exercises with other countries will be established this year, according to the military.
The creation of the Strategic Defense Command will ensure the military will be ready to respond to any eventuality, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in an interview on Wednesday night.
“This will actually be a foundation and basis for us to be able to quickly react to certain scenarios … We are establishing this unit to specifically address all of these trainings that we are doing yearly,” she said.
The AFP’s Education, Training and Doctrine Command is now in charge of the military exercises with other countries, to including the ongoing “Balikatan” with the United States.
Padilla noted the number of annual military exercises has been growing and their scope expanding.
The military has been conducting regular military exercises with various countries, principally with United States. These exercises are primarily aimed at improving interoperability to respond to various threats.
The Philippines has an existing Status of Forces Agreement (VFA) with US. The agreement provides the legal framework for the conduct of the exercises.
Filipino troops are also holding military exercises with Australia, under the Status Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) which is similar to the VFA between the US and the Philippines.
Military exercises are also expected with Japan and New Zealand following the signing of similar agreements with these countries — Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan and SOVFA with New Zealand.
The RAA with Japan was signed in July last year and ratified by the Senate five months later. However, the agreement will have to be approved by Japan’s parliament.
The SOVFA with New Zealand was signed last Wednesday. The defense department said it is working to secure a “speedy presidential ratification” and Senate concurrence of the agreement.
Padilla said the soon-to-be created Strategic Defense Command (SDC) will ensure that modern equipment that were acquired through the AFP’s modernization program are integrated into the training exercises.
As to when the SDC will be activated, Padilla said, “We’re looking at creating this within the year. We don’t have an actual timeline because it will go through the normal process.”
She said the creation of the command will undergo thorough review which will also determine the composition and leaders of the new unit.
