More concrete progress has been made in enhancing the defense ties and interoperability of Filipino and American military forces following the successful conclusion of the Philippines and US Security Sector Assistance Roadmap (SSAR) Working Group Workshop.

In a statement Monday, AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said the SSAR was conducted from July 11 to 13 at the AFP Commissioned Officers’ Country in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

“SSAR involves the provision of support, training, and assistance by the United States to help partner nations strengthen their security sectors, including defense forces. These partnerships aim to promote stability, build capacity, and enhance the effectiveness of the partner country’s security forces,” he added.

The activity is part of the commitment of the two nations to push through with its earlier commitment to further boost Philippine defense capability and interoperability with the American forces.

The three-day Philippine-US SSAR Working Group Workshop is an offshoot of the agreements made during the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting between then Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and US State Secretary Anthony Blinken held last April 11 in Washington, D.C.

During the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting, both countries agreed to develop a long-term plan to address the AFP’s defense capability requirements and to further enhance joint interoperability between the US and the Philippines as envisioned in the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

Ileto said the recommendations of the work group will be further deliberated, refined, and approved by the Mutual Defense Board – Security Engagement Board (MDB/SEB) co-chaired by the AFP chief of staff and the commander of the US-Indo Pacific Command.

The next MDB/SEB Board Meeting will be held in the Philippines this coming September. (PNA)