The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has kicked off the joint exercise dubbed AJEX DAGIT‑PA 09-2025 to sharpen overall readiness across sea, land and air operations as part of a broader strategy to defend the country independently for up to 20 to 30 days before allied intervention.
At the opening ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo, AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. emphasised that the training goes beyond routine drills and is designed to validate their operational concepts under the newly adopted Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
Under orders from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the AFP’s goal is now clear:
“We should be able to fight and preserve our forces for at least 20 to 30 days… that’s what we are preparing for.”
The exercise, which runs from November 4 to 14, 2025, will test joint operations, including amphibious landings, air-seaborne support, cyber/electromagnetic warfare and the newly activated AFP Strategic Command structure.
While the AFP says the drills enhance self-reliance, officials acknowledge the country still faces capability gaps in resources, equipment and domain coverage—especially across the archipelago.