PH, US hold planning drill with 17 security partners
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) opened a multinational planning exercise in Pasay City aimed at strengthening coordination for disaster response among Indo-Pacific partners.
The exercise, Tempest Express 41-2026, was launched June 3 at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Newport World Resorts and will run until June 11, the AFP Public Affairs Office said on Friday.
It brings together representatives from 17 Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT) nations, 31 MPAT members, as well as humanitarian organizations and civilian agencies.
AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the exercise is designed to enhance coordination among participating countries in humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
“The exercise aims to strengthen interoperability and coordination among participating nations in humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations,” Trinidad said in a statement.
Joint planning
The program is conducted under the MPAT framework, coled by the AFP and USINDOPACOM, which focuses on developing joint planning processes for large-scale emergencies, including natural disasters.
The USINDOPACOM headquartered in Hawaii, works with regional partners on security cooperation and humanitarian assistance initiatives across the Indo-Pacific.
The AFP said the exercise supports its role as a member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and its lead function in the Search, Rescue and Retrieval Cluster during major emergencies.
