by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
A massively strengthened and expanded US diplomatic and military alliance with the Philippines introduces critical new deterrence variables in the Pacific for US and allied efforts to contain Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and possible annexation of Taiwan.
An interesting essay from Nova.news specifies that, following his visit to Manila earlier this year, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said talks were underway to move “priority defensive platforms” to the Philippines.
The US will send “radars, drones, military transport aircraft, and air and coastal defense systems,” Nova.news states.
The US-Philippine alliance was cited recently by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks who highlighted breakthrough progress in a series of US partnerships in the region.
“I don’t think anyone could look at the U.S./Philippine defense to defense relationship a couple of years ago and have expected us to achieve the kinds of agreements that we now have. The ability to bring South Korea and Japan together with the United States, incredible. AUKUS, incredible. Lots of really positive momentum and real gains there that we know are having deterrent value on the Chinese,” Hicks told a Defense Writers Group in November, according to a published transcript of the exchange.
The US-Philippine relationship has a strong and impactful history, yet it is something which has gained momentum recently following Chinese provocations. In recent months, a Chinese ship “collided” with a Philippine vessel, raising tensions to a new level in the region. The Philippines are positioned in an extremely important location as they are further South in the Pacific ocean closer to the South China Sea and Taiwan.
A US State Department essay on US-Philippine relations cites the powerful history between the two countries.
“The 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty provides a strong foundation for our robust post-World War II security partnership. Strong people-to-people ties, and economic cooperation provide additional avenues to engage on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues,” the US State Dept. Paper said.
The Philippines were liberated from Japan in 1945 following the Japanese surrender, yet US and Filippino forces fought against the Japanese side by side in the Pacific for many years, events which have left quite a mark on history. The Battle of Bataan in 1942, for example, resulted in horrific Japanese human rights violations in the famous March of Bataan, as described by US Naval History and Heritage Command.
The US State Department paper emphasized this powerful history, highlighting the recent US-Philippine Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) in January 2023, a meeting which further advanced security partnerships between the two countries.
Following Secretary Austin’s BSD visit to the Philippines in January of 2023, the US and Philippines agreed to massively increase the US Military presence in the Philippines, adding four new bases. An essay in NPR explained that the Pentagon announced the enhanced partnership, referred to as a strengthening as an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
Merits of Strengthened US-Philippine alliance
Hicks made the clear point that a strengthening US-Philippine partnership brings implications when it comes to informing China that there may indeed be substantial consequences for unmerited aggressive behavior. A strong US-Philippines partnership sends a message to China that it would not make sense for the PLA to provoke, attack or harass the Philippines. Therefore, while the Philippines has a very small Navy and just several hundred thousand troops, according to Global Firepower, a firm diplomatic and security alliance between the US and Philippines greatly strengthens efforts to deter China.
“Lots of really positive momentum and real gains there that we know are having deterrent value on the Chinese, as they worry about what the implications could be of creating larger conflicts when they — you know when they look to take on any one of those nations,” Hicks told reporters, according to the transcript.
Geography is another critical element of this expanded alliance, given that Manila is listed as only 1,011km from the coast of Taiwan, giving US Naval and Air assets a clear point at which to base, prepare or stage training, deterrence operations or even military intervention should that become necessary.
Should new drones and aircraft station at new bases in the Philippines, it would increase proximity for surveillance, training and deterrence operations in the South China Sea
Kris Osborn is President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
