US Pacific Command (PACOM) commander Admiral Samuel Paparo and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Antonio Nafarrete have approved a slate of bilateral military engagements for 2027 to strengthen interoperability between the two-armed forces.
The activities were cleared during the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting at Camp Aguinaldo on Friday. While PACOM disclosed the approval on Sunday, it did not detail the exact number of planned activities. By comparison, previous board meetings greenlit over 500 joint exercises, including the multilateral Balikatan drills that featured forces from Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand.
In a statement on its website, PACOM noted that Paparo and Nafarrete signed an “8-Star memo, approving guidance and an activities list for continued bilateral collaboration.” Both defense leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates both nations to support each other in the event of an armed attack.
“The board approved a slate of joint engagements for the upcoming year, ranging from large-scale exercises to subject-matter-expert exchanges, continuing a partnership that has produced hundreds of bilateral activities annually in recent years,” PACOM said.
“These engagements are designed to sustain interaction between the two militaries and enhance operational readiness across a range of missions, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” the statement added.
PACOM highlighted the significance of this year’s MDB-SEB meeting as both allies mark the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty, originally signed on August 30, 1951.
“US Pacific Command is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict,” PACOM said.