Philippines, US to conduct counter terrorism drill in Hawaii

September 15, 2017

The Philippine and United States government are set to conduct bilateral inter-agency counter terrorism drill dubbed  “Tempest Wind” next month.

Arsenio Andolong, Department of National Defense (DND) Public Affairs Service chief, said the drill will be held in Philippines and Hawaii

“Approved by the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB- SEB) of both countries in November 2016, “Tempest Wind” is a whole-of- government activity that will include government agencies involved in crisis management, counter-terrorism, and security operations from both countries,” he said.

Andolong said the “drill is designed to provide realistic scenarios on terrorism that will necessitate both high-level engagements and responses on a tactical level.”

“The Philippine government looks forward to joining 'Tempest Wind' with the end in view of learning from the activity and sharing best practices with its counterpart,” he said.

“This drill will strengthen the Philippine-American bilateral partnership and enhance both governments’ interoperability in crisis situations, especially those involving terrorism,” he added.

In a press release, the United States Embassy emphasized that the drill was “intended to test and improve the ability of both nations to rapidly plan, coordinate, and conduct counter-terrorism operations.”

“The whole-of-government drill will be augmented by additional military assessments, national level engagement, and subject matter expert exchanges,” it stated.

“In addition to important information exchanges, Tempest Wind is recognized as a way to test force readiness and exercise interoperability.  These assessments will help to focus future bilateral training efforts to enhance the crisis response capabilities of both nations,” it added.

“The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines and will continue to provide support and assistance to Philippine counter-terrorism efforts and work jointly to address shared threats to the peace and security of both countries,” the embassy noted. Robina Asido/DMS