Marking the 80th anniversary of U.S.-Philippines diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty, the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the Government of the Philippines, hosted a five-day Capstone Workshop and Combined Tabletop Exercise in Manila from August 24 to 28. The event brought together senior operational leaders from across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen regional defenses against the growing threat of weaponized unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials.
Hosted by the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation (Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Response and Planning) and the Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Council Program Management Center, the workshop convened delegations from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
The event marked the culmination of a regional training series, launched in 2025, addressing the convergence of two of the fastest-evolving security threats facing the region: the proliferation of low-cost, commercially available drones, and the persistent risk of CBRN materials falling into the hands of malicious actors.
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Source: U.S. Embassy in the Philippines
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