The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) opened Exercise Tempest Express 41-2026 on June 3 at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, bringing together military, civilian, and humanitarian partners to strengthen disaster preparedness and response coordination.
Held under the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT) Program, the exercise will run until June 11 and will involve representatives from 17 MPAT nations, 31 MPAT members, humanitarian groups, and civilian agencies. The activity focuses on improving disaster response planning, interoperability, and coordination during humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
The AFP said the exercise supports its role as a key member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and as the lead agency of the Search, Rescue, and Retrieval Cluster.
Through the multinational activity, the AFP and its partners aim to build stronger regional cooperation and ensure that participating nations are better prepared to respond jointly to natural disasters and other complex emergencies.