The Philippine Military Academy’s Team Dagohoy posted a sharp improvement at this year’s Sandhurst International Military Skills Competition in the United States, climbing from near-last place in 2025 to 31st out of 48 teams.

The annual contest, held at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, pits military academies and ROTC units from several countries against each other in endurance, combat and tactical exercises designed to simulate battlefield conditions.

The PMA said the Filipino cadets outperformed teams from Australia, Poland, Brazil and several American military schools during the 2 to 3 May competition.

The academy ranked 47th out of 48 teams last year.

This year’s contest was won by the USMA Black team of West Point for the fourth straight year, according to competition organizers.

USMA Gold placed second, while Texas A&M University finished third overall.

The 59th edition of the competition featured 48 teams from US military academies, ROTC programs and foreign military institutions competing in a grueling 36-hour series of events testing navigation, marksmanship, casualty evacuation, obstacle crossing and tactical decision-making under pressure. 

Organizers this year also introduced simulated drone warfare exercises using first-person-view controllers, reflecting lessons drawn from modern conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.