The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is set to establish a new Strategic Defense Command to oversee joint military exercises with allied nations and enhance the country’s readiness and response to modern security challenges.

The command will streamline military operations and improve cooperation with the Philippines’ key partners, particularly in addressing complex regional and global threats.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the new command would help the military respond to emerging threats with greater speed and efficiency.

“We’re doing three things: collaborating, calibrating, and coiling like a spring. The goal is not to get ready but to be ready. We want to make sure that when the time comes, we’re already in action,” Padilla told reporters Thursday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

While there’s no exact timeline for the establishment of the new unit, the AFP expects it to be fully operational within the year.

Padilla said the military is currently reviewing the composition of the unit, its leadership, and its operational structure. It will undergo a provisional phase before being formally established.

The Strategic Defense Command will integrate a “fusion triad” approach, bringing together intelligence, civil-military operations, and combat forces. Padilla emphasized this integration will ensure more rapid decision-making and more effective responses to various security threats.

“In today’s complex security environment, the AFP must continue evolving. This new command will allow us to better address the challenges we face,” she said.

Comparisons to Japan

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. drew comparisons to Japan’s recently established Joint Operations Command (JOC), which consolidates operations across Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to create a unified, faster-response military.

Japan is one of the Philippines’ closest security allies, and Brawner noted that the AFP is also focusing on building stronger ties with other like-minded nations.

“We are setting up the Strategic Defense Command this year. This will allow us to work more closely with our allies, improve our systems, and be able to act swiftly when the situation demands it,” Brawner said during a speaking engagement at Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, on Sunday.

The AFP also plans to strengthen its joint training exercises, particularly with the United States.

Padilla said major exercises, such as the annual Philippines-US Exercise Balikatan, will fall under the new command. “This new command will help us bring together all of our training efforts, modernize our equipment, and ensure that we’re interoperable with the forces of our allied nations,” she added.

DND reviews defense deals

Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense (DND) is reviewing approximately 50 defense cooperation agreements with various countries, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said.

The reviews aim to ensure that the Philippines’ defense partnerships are aligned with the country’s national security objectives, particularly in light of the ongoing territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

“We’re examining all these defense agreements to ensure they benefit our defense and foreign policy priorities. If there are pacts with countries whose interests no longer align with ours, we’ll re-evaluate them,” Teodoro said in an interview in Makati City on Wednesday.

“Our defense policies must reflect our priorities, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, and we’ll make sure our defense cooperation agreements support these goals,” he added.

The DND is conducting a thorough management review of all its defense arrangements, including logistics, infrastructure, and military education. The review also covers alliances with countries that support the Philippines’ claims in the disputed South China Sea.

Teodoro noted that some agreements are “dormant” or may no longer serve the country’s best interests.

“We have a matrix that we’re using to evaluate the benefits of each agreement. If a defense pact isn’t contributing to our strategic interests, it doesn’t make sense to keep it. We’re looking at all the options available to us and will consult with other departments on the next steps,” he said.

The review process includes re-examining over 50 memoranda of understanding and other agreements, although Teodoro declined to specify which countries’ agreements are under scrutiny.