The commandant of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) has committed to helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in developing its maritime domain awareness (MDA) so it can be more interoperable with its American counterparts.

MDA refers to the capabilities of a country to protect and detect intrusions within its territorial waters.

USMC head Gen. Eric M. Smith made this assurance during his courtesy call with AFP vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Monday.

“The two leaders also discussed the upcoming Maritime Training Security (MTA) ‘Sama-Sama’ underscoring a shared commitment to advancing maritime domain awareness and interoperability,” the AFP said in a statement late Monday.

The MTA “Sama-Sama” is a multilateral naval exercise between the Philippines and the US first held in October 2022.

In the meeting, Cordura expressed his appreciation of Smith’s visit and highlighted the importance of continued partnership between the AFP and the USMC.

Smith’s visit reflects the AFP’s initiative to explore avenues for future cooperation anchored in the rules-based international order and a shared vision for a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific Region. (PNA)