Marcos wants AFP ready to defend country alone for up to 30 days, says Brawner
MANILA, Philippines — If a war breaks out, the Philippines must be prepared to defend itself for up to a month without outside help, the country's top general said Tuesday, November 4, spelling out how long Filipino forces must hold before American troops arrive under the mutual defense treaty.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. gave this estimate at the opening of the military’s annual war games — AJEX DAGIT-PA — at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, November 4.
In the event of a potential conflict, Brawner said the Philippines' "ally and partners are expecting us to fight the war ourselves during the first part of the conflict."
"We have to rely on ourselves first," Brawner told reporters after the opening ceremony, where he gave a speech that focused on the current challenges to defending the archipelago amid constant threats to its sovereignty.
"We will be the ones to go to war first. That's why our unilateral defense plan and this exercise we are doing are very important," Brawner said in mixed English and Filipino.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he said, has directed the AFP to ensure it can “fight and preserve our forces for at least 20 to 30 days” before reinforcements under the Mutual Defense Treaty could arrive.
The 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty obligates both the United States and the Philippines to respond to armed attacks on each other. The US has said this treaty extends to "anywhere in the South China Sea."
Brawner did not specify which countries the Philippines may one day find itself in conflict with, but his remarks come amid rising tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea that falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
War games across sea, sky and land
AJEX DAGIT-PA — short for Dagat-Langit-Lupa (Sea-Sky-Land) — is a multi-service drill involving the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. It focuses on integrating operations across all three domains in preparation for territorial defense.
Running until November 10, the exercises will see troops simulate attacks on the Malampaya gas platform off Palawan and the defense of Pag-asa Island, the Philippines' largest outpost in the Spratly Islands.
Malampaya supplies about 20% of Luzon's electricity through four power plants in Batangas.
The exercise will also integrate newer forms of warfare, Brawner said, including cyber, electromagnetic, information and even space domains, with data feeds from partner nations’ satellites.
“These are not just simulations,” Brawner said. “They are strategic rehearsals for real-world contingencies.”
Shift to 'strategic command'
This year’s war games would also test the newly activated AFP Strategic Command, which replaces the General Headquarters battle staff as the primary training "audience" of DAGIT-PA.
The Strategic Command — which was officially activated on October 27 — is the AFP's "strategic hub" that will centralize intelligence and operations to speed up decision-making and improve coordination. It also handles the planning and synchronization of joint drills and engagements with the Philippines' allies.
The change, Brawner said, was based on lessons from previous exercises that showed the military leadership could not simultaneously command combat operations and advise the president during a crisis.
“In case there is a war, the Chief of Staff wears two hats,” he said. “But it’s not possible to do both — to be the overall commander of all forces and, at the same time, the principal adviser to the Commander-in-Chief.”
The expectation is that the Strategic Command would handle operational command during a potential conflict, which would free the AFP chief to advise the president.
Lessons from Ukraine, new threats at sea
Brawner said the AFP is also learning from recent conflicts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, where drone warfare has transformed the battlefield.
"If you are seen, you are already considered dead," he said, describing how aerial, surface and underwater drones can strike any target once spotted.
The AFP, Brawner said, must adapt to these shifts as it implements its new unilateral defense plan and the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which extend the military’s coverage beyond the coastlines to the country’s exclusive economic zone and outer islands.
He also stressed that the Philippine military’s modernization drive is important to addressing long-standing shortages in ships, aircraft, sensors, and firepower. “We lack ships, we lack aircraft, we lack sensors, we lack firing capabilities,” he said in his speech. “That’s why the modernization program is very vital.”
This year's exercises, Brawner said, would involve the country's maritime, air, and ground assets “in a complete package.”
“The realities of the West Philippine Sea remind us that deterrence is not built overnight,” Brawner said. “It is strengthened through training and unity of purpose.”
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