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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Nafarrete sees stronger Army collaboration with US

Nafarrete sees stronger Army collaboration with US

Published Aug 18, 2025 01:30 pm
Philippine Army (PA) Chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete (middle) meets Colonel Daniel Oh, senior defense officer and chief of Joint US Military Assistance Group to the Philippines (JUSMAG-PHIL) (seventh from left) and Col. John Matthew Sova, US Army attaché (sixth from right) at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Aug. 15, 2025. (Photo: PA)
Philippine Army (PA) Chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete (middle) meets Colonel Daniel Oh, senior defense officer and chief of Joint US Military Assistance Group to the Philippines (JUSMAG-PHIL) (seventh from left) and Col. John Matthew Sova, US Army attaché (sixth from right) at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Aug. 15, 2025. (Photo: PA)
The Philippine Army (PA) on Monday, Aug. 18, expressed optimism for deeper cooperation with the United States Army, particularly in training, exercises, and capability development, as Manila continues to bolster its defense posture.
Forging closer cooperation between the two armies was the focus of a recent meeting between Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, PA commanding general, Colonel Daniel Oh, senior defense officer and chief of Joint US Military Assistance Group to the Philippines (JUSMAG-PHIL), and Col. John Matthew Sova, US Army attaché, in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
During the call, Nafarrete assured the “sustained bilateral engagement” between the PA and US Army, according to PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala.
The Army chief and the visiting US delegates also discussed ways to enhance the interoperability between the two forces.
“The call of the two senior defense officials is a testament to the enduring alliance between the Philippines and the U.S., embodying the shared values of peace, security and regional stability,” Nafarrete shared.
The PA and US Army Pacific train together in the annual Exercise Salaknib and the borader and multilateral Exercise Balikatan.
Various PA major units also conduct combined training and subject matter expert exchanges with their US Army counterparts.
In April 2024, the U.S. Army Pacific deployed its Typhon mid-range missile system to the Philippines for Exercise Salaknib.
Although the exercise has already concluded, the mid-range capability (MRC) system has yet to be pulled out, as Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. expressed interest in training Filipino troops to operate it in preparation for possible future acquisition.
Nafarrete highlighted the value of Oh and Sova’s collaboration with the Philippine Army in reinforcing the organization’s strength.
Oh, as the JUSMAG-PHIL chief, administers security assistance missions in addition to non-security assistance missions such as the coordination of joint Philippine and US military-to-military engagement programs prescribed by the Mutual Defense Board.
Meanwhile, Sova, as the US Army attaché, fosters positive relationships with PA and coordinates security cooperation activities.

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Philippine Army US JUSMAG-PHIL military cooperation Antonio Nafarrete
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