The National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) participated in the Track II Network of ASEAN Defence and security Institutions (NADI) Workshop on ASEAN Defence Industrial Collaboration: Potential and Way Forward on 08-11 August 2023 at Holiday Inn Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia. The NDCP Delegation comprised Senior Defense Research Officer, Ms Arielle Ann Nicole I Lopez; Defense Research Officer II, Mr Erick Nielson C Javier; and Defence Research Officer I, Mr Vince Andre C Sabellon.

On behalf of NDCP, Mr Javier presented on the “Defense Industry Development and Prospects for ASEAN Defense Industrial Cooperation” where he underscored the need to take stock of the current defense industrial landscape, the rise of new industrial powerhouses in the East, and changing demand dynamics brought out by the war in Ukraine. He further stressed the importance of encouraging bilateral and minilateral cooperation between ASEAN members based on specific defense products, noting the challenges of crafting common defense and security initiatives involving all ASEAN members.

The NADI Workshop was organized by the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security (MiDAS), with the aim of fostering discussions on the state of ASEAN member states’ defense industries, assessing the problems and challenges facing the ASEAN Defence Industrial Collaboration (ADIC) initiative, and proposing potential ways forward.

The Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions is a Track II platform that brings together defence and security institutions and think tanks across the Southeast Asian region.