US, Philippine missile and drone defense drills reveal challenges of stopping an attack

Synergy Pagtatanggol, a 3-day tabletop joint exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas, exposed major challenges with thwarting a barrage of missile attacks, according to a Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center analyst. A U.S. soldier looks out at the South China Sea during a Balikatan drill near Laoag, Philippines, May 4, 2026. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes) U.S. and Philippine troops defending against a barrage of incoming missiles might have only seconds to decide whether to shoot them down, and too few weapons to protect every target. Those were among the challenges identified during a recent joint military exercise that tested how the allies would defend the Philippines against simultaneous missile and drone attacks, according to its lead planner.

John Reeves, an analyst at the Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center in Hawaii, said the simulations highlighted three critical concerns: slow decision-making, limited defense resources and the danger of confusing friendly aircraft with incoming threats. The three-day tabletop exercise, Synergy Pagtatanggol, took place Sept. 21-23 at the Fort Bliss Simulation Center in Texas. “Modern, high-velocity threats operate on compressed timelines measured in seconds and minutes,” Reeves told Stars and Stripes in an Oct. 11 email. The training comes amid ongoing tension between Manila and Beijing, which claims much of the South China Sea. Chinese vessels have repeatedly confronted Philippine ships