CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has achieved its targets in enhancing interoperability and readiness in joint operations as it ends this year’s AFP Joint Exercise DAGITPA (Dagat, Langit, Lupa) on Friday, November 18.
The AFP Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro who represented Department of National Defense Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. presided over the closing ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo.
“The execution of the joint exercises have effectively up-skilled the men and women of the AFP and upgraded organizational capabilities. Clearly, DAGITPA 06-2022 has enhanced the one AFP team concept through improved interoperability and readiness for deployment in the joint operational environment at any given time,” said Lieutenant General Bacarro.
For more than two weeks, the exercise directorate and participants have successfully completed the Table Top Exercise in Camp Aguinaldo; Staff Exercise and Cyber Defense Exercise in Western Command; and field training exercises namely Air Defense Operations, Counter-Air Operations, Maritime Security Operations, Amphibious Operations, Combined Arms and Littoral Live Fire Exercise and Unconventional Warfare and Counter-terrorism Operations in the province of Palawan.
The closing ceremony was also attended by Brigadier General Marvin Licudine, Commander of AFP Education Training and Doctrine Command (AFPETDC) and this year’s Exercise Director; Rear Admiral Donn Anthony Miraflor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Education, Training and Doctrine; Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner, Philippine Army Commanding General; Joint Staffs and representatives from other Major Services.
“From the planning and coordination to the execution, the AJEX DAGITPA 2022 was a success and has attained its objectives. Our AFP has enhanced the conduct of crisis planning and joint military operations in territorial defense of the different mission areas,” said Brigadier General Licudine.
He also thanked stakeholders from the local government of Palawan for their support in the conduct of the exercise.
The annual unilateral exercise was also geared at testing the AFP’s territorial defense capabilities as it continues to promote and uphold peace and stability across the region and the globe. During the field training and staff exercises, key units were able to identify needed military hardware and capabilities that will form part of the military’s modernization program.
The AJEX DAGITPA continues to serve as a necessary tool to enhance the joint forces’ personnel capacity and unit capabilities which will enable AFP members to be readily deployable in all kinds of contingencies.///
(Photo by A2C Ted Castro PAF/PAOAFP)
