US, Philippine forces sharpen plans to counter missile and drone attacks

U.S. and Filipino planners tested how they would defend the Philippines against missile and drone attacks during a recent first-of-its-kind exercise. U.S. and Philippine military planners take part in the inaugural Synergy Pagtatanggol air-defense exercise this month at the Fort Bliss Simulation Center in Texas. (U.S. Air Force) U.S. and Philippine military planners tested how they would defend the Philippines against simultaneous missile and drone attacks during their first dedicated joint air and missile defense exercise this week. The three-day tabletop event, called Synergy Pagtatanggol, recently brought 25 military specialists to the Fort Bliss Simulation Center in Texas, according to an Oct. 7 news release from the U.S. military’s Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center.

The release did not disclose exactly when the training took place. Pagtatanggol means defense or protection in Tagalog. Ten Philippine military personnel representing the country’s army, navy, air force and marine corps were involved in the training, the release said. Using computer software called SMARTset, planners simulated threats approaching from multiple directions, including low-flying cruise missiles, larger military drones and ballistic missiles, according to the release. Defending against airborne attacks requires more than shooting down incoming weapons, said Col. Matthew Belote, director of the integrated defense center. “We think of IAMD as a kinetic thing, but let’s talk about the IAMD pillars,” he said