Phl, US Marines Corps begin KAMANDAG drills 2023 with UK, Japan, South Korea

The Philippine Marines Corps and the United States Marines Corps on Thursday officially kicked off the 7th iteration of their bilateral "Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma mula sa Dagat" or KAMANDAG 07-03 Exercise, which was primarily designed to enhance the combined operations, cooperation, and interoperability among participating forces.

BGen. Jimmy Larida, PMC director for Exercise Directorate Headquarters, said this exercise should not be mistaken as preparation towards addressing a particular issue, insisting that it is not even specifically directed to a particular country.

"The particular exercise will not be directed against the, towards, against a particular issue, particularly in the West Philippine Sea," he said, rejecting claims that it has something to do with the increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

Larida emphasized that the KAMANDAG exercise has been long planned under the existing Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty.

"The exercise is not designed to prepare for a very particular country but the exercise is designed to prepare our marine soldiers…to prepare for operational readiness and any kind of challenges from any aggressors," he said.

"I would like to point out that KAMANDAG 7-23 is not an exercise that is prepared specifically for a particular country," he added.

MGen. Arturo Rojas, PMC commandant, said the exercise enhances their regional readiness and contributes to a secure and stable environment as well as showcasing the ability to work side by side in pursuit of their shared objectives.

"Together, we send a powerful message to the world, especially to those who may seek to disrupt the peace: that our partnership is unbreakable, our resolve unyielding, and our commitment to defending our nations is always unwavering," he said.

Rojas noted the exercise will strengthen our ability to operate seamlessly together, further enhancing our interoperability and coordination.

Meanwhile, Philippine Navy flag officer in command, Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. said exercise can help the country's naval forces to fully develop its capabilities to defend the nation against all forms of threats.

"It is imperative that our forces actively participate in such training endeavors to upgrade and develop our capabilities toward fully realizing our vision to become a modern and multi-capable naval force," he noted.

By actively engaging in military-to-military training, Adaci said the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to achieving the highest levels of proficiency and operational readiness of its forces to significantly contribute to the nation's overall defense posture.

"KAMANDAG 07-23 is purposefully designed to enhance bilateral cooperation and interoperability among participating forces," Adaci added.

Moreover, Col. Gregorio Hernandez, Marine Corps Force Development Center Superintendent, said the KAMANDAG exercise this year is focused on improving capabilities in Special Operations, Coastal Defense, HADR Operations, and CBRN (chemical biological radiological and nuclear capability) support, all in line with operationalizing the Marine Corps Archipelagic Coastal Defense Concept,

This year's KAMANDAG will be participated by a total of 2,749 marine soldiers—of the figure 1,732 are from the Philippines, 902 US sailors, 57 Korean Marine Corps, 50 are from Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces and 9 soldiers from United Kingdom armed forces.

The exercises are slated to be conducted in various locations in Luzon and Mindanao until 17 November.
The South Korean and Japanese troops merely acted as observers in the 6th iteration of "Kamandag" from 3 to 14 October last year.