Japan troops join 10-day exercises with Ph, US Marine forces

October 3, 2018

Japanese soldiers join Philippine and US marines in a 10-day exercise dubbed as Kamandag (Venom) 2 from Oct. 1-10, 2018.
KAMANDAG, an acronym for the Filipino phrase “Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat” (Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea),” was launched last year. It highlights the partnership between the Philippine and United States militaries. This year’s exercise will increase overall U.S. and Philippine readiness, improve combined responsiveness to crises in the Indo-Pacific region, and strengthen both countries’ decades-long partnership, a Philippine Marine statement said.
The 80-strong Japanese contingent is part of a newly-established Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces (GDSF) which also participated in the recent RIMPAC exercises