Joint exercise between major services of AFP starts

September 16, 2019

The joint exercise between the major services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), called Dagit-PA, started with an opening ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday.

Capt. Rhyan Batchar, AFP Joint Exercise Dagit-PA public affairs officer said Brigadier General Francisco Mendoza,  assistant deputy chief of staff for education and training represented Major General Erickson Gloria, the AFP deputy chief of staff as guest of honor and speaker during the ceremony at the AFP Education Training and Doctrine Command.

“Dagit-PA which stands for “Dagat-Langit-Lupa” is an AFP-wide exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability during joint operations of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force and Philippine Army,” he said.

“It is geared to level up existing exercises by integrating the AFP’s Special Operations Forces, Cyber Group, and Reservists,” he added.

Batchar said the joint exercises that will last until September 27 will be joined by more than 1,500 soldiers including reservists and selected AFP wide support and separate units.

He said exercises under Dagit-PA include air/maritime interdiction operation in Palawan; amphibious landing in Zambales; airfield seizure and military operations in urban terrain in Nueva Ecija; and combined arms live fire exercise in Tarlac.

“These events will focus on capabilities development in maritime security, military operations in urban terrain, and amphibious operations,” Batchar added.

Mendoza emphasized that “this year’s reiteration of the AFP Joint Exercise will help us strengthen our territorial defense capabilities and our conduct of internal security operations.”

“The AFP chief of staff wants to ensure that we have the capability to apply the unilateral defense plan and AFP joint operating concept among many others to ensure the effectiveness of our troops when operating in a joint operations environment,” he said.

Batchar said the joint exercise will be directed by Commodore Adeluis Bordado, commander of AFP Education Training and Doctrine Command

The AFP Joint Exercise was officially conceptualized and executed in 2017 under the auspices of the newly activated AFP Education Training and Doctine Command, he said.

“The exercise traces its roots from the Navy-Air Force interoperability exercise dubbed as “Dagit” which features air-sea battle concept training which started in the early 2000s,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS