MANILA: Over 6,000 soldiers will join the Philippine Army (PA)'s first-ever "combined arms training exercise" (CATEX) "Katihan" this March which would highlight the service's shift from internal security to territorial defense operations. "The large-scale exercise will effectively test the Army's capability to move, maneuver, and sustain large-scale forces during combat operations," PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said in a statement late Wednesday. He added that the drills would be held in various camps in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. The final planning for the exercise took place on Wednesday at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. It involves 4,706 "dismounted contingents" and 1,463 "mounted contingents" from various Army units in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. "Dismounted contingents" refers to units without any transport while "mounted contingents" are troops serving in motorized, armor, and tracked artillery formations. Source: Philippines News Agency