In a powerful display of allied coordination, Philippine and U.S. forces — alongside Japanese and South Korean military units — conducted a simulated maritime strike operation across key terrain in the Philippine archipelago as part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9, held this June.

The simulation, known as a Combined Joint All-Domain Operation (CJADO), involved multiple “constructive kill” (CK) scenarios — simulated precision strikes on notional maritime threats — and tested how allied forces can jointly respond to crises under the Philippine Archipelagic Coastal Defense Concept.

“This is what combined operations looks like at the highest level — forward-postured, allied-enabled, and terrain-informed,” said U.S. Marine Col. Jason C. Armas, commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 25.3 (MRF-D). “We showed unambiguously that the Marine Corps can apply precision fires and maneuver at scale, across vast distances, and in lockstep with our partners. This sets the precedent. This is how we fight.”

The regimental-level command of MRF-D 25.3, deployed as I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Forward, orchestrated the strikes in cooperation with joint forces, including the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), the U.S. Army’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), and Republic of Korea maneuver units.

In Palawan, long-range simulated missile strikes from the 1st MDTF neutralized mock maritime threats to enable the joint insertion of U.S. Marines and Philippine Marine units along strategic coastlines. The exercise culminated in live-fire drills and beachhead defenses against simulated adversary landings, highlighting interoperability and rapid maneuver capability.

“This training under KAMANDAG's constructive kill framework sharpens situational awareness and accelerates target acquisition in support of maritime denial operations,” said PMC Maj. Sivel Sarmiento.

The drill also featured a simulated humanitarian and disaster response (HADR) component, where Japanese and Philippine troops conducted a coordinated ship-to-shore movement to evacuate and treat mock casualties at mobile field hospitals operated by the Japanese and U.S. forces.

Behind the scenes, joint surveillance and cyber defense teams supported the entire operation. Unmanned systems, maritime surveillance platforms, and embedded defensive cyber operators ensured the success of the multi-domain coordination.

“The MRF-D MAGTF Defensive Cyberspace Operations-Internal Defensive Measures (DCO-IDM) element... enabled uninterrupted execution of critical events,” said 1st Lt. Jared Haynie, cyber operations officer.

Command elements from the U.S. and Philippine sides worked out of facilities in both countries, using the Fires and Effects Coordination Center (FECC) to stitch together real-time data from over 1,000 kilometers of archipelagic terrain. Philippine Navy and Coast Guard assets also monitored key maritime routes to enhance maritime domain awareness.

Col. Armas described the entire operation as more than a drill: “This CJADO proves that deterrence is not abstract. It’s observable. It’s measurable. And it’s executable in terrain that matters, alongside allies who can see, decide, and act faster than any adversary.”

Exercise KAMANDAG — short for Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma ng Dagat — continues to serve as one of the Philippines’ premier multilateral military exercises to boost defense cooperation, support archipelagic security, and uphold sovereignty in the region.