Latest news with #Balikatan
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Babe Romualdez: F-16s on Philippines' wishlist but land-based weapons a priority
'The F-16 will continue to be part of the overall plan, perhaps, in the future. But as of now, as I said, our priority is more on land-based type of defense capabilities,' Romualdez told selected journalists from Japan and the Philippines on a reporting tour of the US funded by the US State Department. WASHINGTON - The Philippines is hoping to acquire fighter jets like the F-16s being offered by the United States, but will prioritize land-based weapons that are more affordable for its national defense, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said Tuesday. The Philippines is working with the US and Lockheed Martin Corp., the Bethesda, Maryland-based aircraft manufacturer, to determine how it can finance the major F-16 acquisition. Romualdez, however, said, 'We're really looking at other items that are, in view of our national defense strategy, more important than the F-16s.' 'The F-16 will continue to be part of the overall plan, perhaps, in the future. But as of now, as I said, our priority is more on land-based type of defense capabilities,' Romualdez told selected journalists from Japan and the Philippines on a reporting tour of the US funded by the US State Department. The Philippines is the oldest treaty ally of the United States in Asia and both have boosted defense ties under former President Joe Biden and the current Trump administration in the face of China's increasing aggressive actions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. The U.S. has helped in efforts to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines for years aside from staging large-scale combat-readiness exercises every year, including the Balikatan military exercises that has increasingly focused on strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines' capability to defend the country's territorial interests in the disputed waters. 'As I said the F-16, it's an aspiration that we've had for many, many years. There are other offers from other countries like the Gripen, which is actually made in Sweden. But there's a question of affordability,' Romualdez said. The US State Department announced Washington's approval of the major F-16s sale following the visit in Manila of Sec. Pete Hegseth, who announced the Trump administration's support to help modernize the AFP's firepower and military capabilities to help deter China's growing aggression in the South China Sea. Hegseth also reaffirmed the Trump administration's "iron-clad" commitment to its obligations under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obliges the allies to help defend one another in case of an external attack. Washington's assistance is crucial to Manila's efforts to modernize its armed forces, one of Asia's most underfunded, as it seeks to strengthen its maritime capability amid an increasingly aggressive China, which has repeatedly harassed and threatened Philippine vessels and aircraft in the West Philippine Sea. 'That's the reason why we tell our friends here in the United States that our economic prosperity and our economic security are tied into our defense security,' Romualdez said. 'If we have the wherewithal we will be able to bring our country's armed forces into being a real partner to the United States, which I think is what the administration of President Trump would like to see - that countries should be able to defend themselves in partnership with the United States,' he said. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro is conducting an overall study to determine 'what is really the best in terms of the capabilities that we need,' Romualdez said. 'At the end of the day, of course, depending on our resources, and the capability to be able to finance these purchases in the long-term, that's what's important,' Romualdez said. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH, US marines open Kamandag exercise; NMESIS to be used in training
The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) officially opened Monday their Kamandag Exercise for this year with the participation of other countries. At a press conference, PMC commandant Major General Arturo Rojas said a total of around 4,000 participants are expected to join the training, which is set to be completed on June 6. 'We have around 2,000 for the PMC side and around the same number with our USMC counterparts,' Rojas said. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and United Kingdom Armed Forces will also participate in Kamandag. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Bahrain, Canada, New Zealand, among others, will serve as observers. The US' missile system Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) will be used in training, according to Rojas. 'We'll be using the NMESIS also. Again, be able to learn and sustain what we have, what we did in the past Balikatan,' he said. The NMESIS will be deployed to the northern Luzon area, according to USMC's Marine Rotational Force - Darwin 25.3 commanding officer Colonel Jason Armas. 'These are scenario-driven exercises where we will conduct operations with the NMESIS, which is a great capability. It extends the commander's operational reach. And what it really does is it continues to validate Force Design 2030 for the USMC,' Armas said. 'And I would argue that it truly enhances the archipelagic coastal defense concept for the Philippine Armed Forces and really moving forward in modernization,' he added. Among the exercises that will be featured in this year's Kamandag are the following: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRN) Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) Senior Enlisted Leaders Symposium (SELS) Maritime & Special Operation Forces events Live Fire Integration Maritime Strike Counter-Landing/Defensive Retrograde Operation Special Operating Forces Strike Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Marcos on West PH Sea: Philippines will not tolerate disrespect to sovereignty
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the government's commitment to protect the country's territories and maritime zones, especially in the West Philippine Sea. Speaking at the 127th anniversary of the Philippine Navy in Subic, Zambales, Marcos stressed that the country will not allow any violation of its sovereignty. 'We stand firm. We will never tolerate any act of disrespect against our sovereignty,' the President said. He also highlighted that the Philippines will continue to assert its maritime rights in accordance with international law. 'We will continue to safeguard our maritime zones and exercise our maritime entitlements, in accordance with international law,' he said. 'Wala tayong isusuko, wala tayong papabayaan.' Marcos added that the Philippines remains engaged in peaceful and legal solutions to maritime issues, citing the country's participation in defense and security exercises like Balikatan, Sama Sama, Rim of the Pacific, and Exercise Kakadu. He also mentioned hosting talks and meetings with other countries, such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Experts' Working Group, which all aim to strengthen cooperation and ensure regional peace.
CNA
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Commentary: China is testing Trump in the South China Sea and the region is watching
LANCASTER, England: On Apr 25, Chinese state TV made an unusual announcement: The coast guard had 'implemented maritime control' at Sandy Cay in the Spratly Islands, with images showing the national flag unfurled on the uninhabited sandbar. The Philippines hurriedly dispatched a team to take similar photos to show it remained unoccupied. The landing on the atoll, and the publicity given to it, drove home one of Beijing's core messages to the region this year – the prospect of abandonment by an unreliable US administration. China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, made this clear in March. At his high-profile press conference during the annual Two Sessions in Beijing, he warned that 'infringement and provocation will backfire, and those acting as others' chess pieces are bound to be discarded'. In case anyone had missed the point, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a standalone statement highlighting Mr Wang's comments. Official comments have repeated the line ever since. The Sandy Cay incident was typical of China's efforts to place US commitment in the Indo-Pacific under the microscope. The sandbar is within plain sight of the Philippines' main military outpost in the hotly disputed archipelago. Beijing's information release was also carefully timed – the American and Philippine militaries were conducting their annual Balikatan joint exercises in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, US freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea appear to have once again been paused, as they were in 2017, against the backdrop of a US-China trade war where deals are expected to be made. TESTING THE WATERS IN TRUMP 2.0 US President Donald Trump's first term coincided with a lull in South China Sea tensions as the Philippines under then-President Rodrigo Duterte sought to attract Chinese economic assistance, while Beijing restrained its maritime agencies in the hopes of peeling away a US ally. As a result, Trump's commitment to the US' key Southeast Asian ally was not seriously tested by events on the water. The situation in his second term is very different. On Jan 24, a scientific team from the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources abandoned a survey at Sandy Cay. Videos released by the Philippines showed a Chinese Coast Guard ship blocking Philippine survey vessels and a military helicopter hovering at low altitude. China described its vessels as having 'intercepted, controlled, warned and expelled' intruding Philippine ships from the area, and state media drew attention to the incident. That was four days after Mr Trump's inauguration and new Secretary of State Marco Rubio's reaffirmation of the United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and the US' 'ironclad commitments' to the Philippines. An even more dangerous encounter followed on Feb 19 near Scarborough Shoal, when a Chinese helicopter flew within 3m of a Philippine patrol aircraft near Scarborough Shoal, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Then there's the matter of the Chinese Coast Guard ships' lingering presence in the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone between Scarborough Shoal and the coast of northern Luzon since January. The area, while inside Beijing's nine-dash line, is well over 100km from any disputed territory. March and April saw Beijing and Manila trading accusations after incidents in the air and at sea near Scarborough Shoal. FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION The Philippines' maritime agencies are outmatched by the Chinese Coast Guard, which is the world's largest white-hull force (as opposed to the 'grey hulls' of the navy). Yet unlike in Duterte's term, Philippine agencies are contesting Chinese activities and publicising incidents, citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's commitment that 'not a square inch of Philippine territory is surrendered to any foreign power'. American FONOPs in the South China Sea are part of the calculus. They challenge China's extra-legal claims in the South China Sea, by asserting navigation rights and sailing military vessels in disputed waters. In 2017, the first Trump administration placed the existing FONOP programme on hold while the president sought to build a relationship with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. At the time of writing, there have been no publicly reported FONOP in the South China Sea since Dec 6, 2024. More frequent and visible assertions of presence and navigation by other states will be needed if the waterway is to remain international. There have been some signs that some may be willing to step up. During a visit to Manila in March, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy released a video on social media asserting the United Kingdom's interests in the South China Sea, emphasising its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) – which the United States has not ratified – and criticising 'dangerous and destabilising activities by China.' EXTREME RISKS TO CONSIDER If clashes continue, so do the odds of escalation, whether by intent or miscalculation. The region must be prepared for potential serious incidents involving vessel damage or even casualties, and an unpredictable US response. Advanced US anti-ship missiles were deployed to the Philippines for the first time, during this year's Balikatan drill. Yet to deal with the problem at hand, the Philippines needs to expand its navy and civilian maritime law enforcement assets. Given Mr Trump's struggles to boost US shipbuilding capacity, it seems unlikely Washington will be of much help in this regard. Japan, South Korea and Australia are more likely partners. Each may view increased Philippine capability in the South China Sea as potential brake on Beijing's strategic advances elsewhere in the region. One other option is to bring the issue to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) via a resolution calling on China to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling under UNCLOS. While non-binding, a UNGA resolution could rally international attention and support and, as think tank CSIS' Greg Poling has pointed out, could point the way to an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Abandonment is not the only extreme policy risk that countries in the region need to think through. Under Mr Trump, the spectrum of Washington's responses to such situations could range from acquiescence and non-involvement to reckless escalation. Many US allies in the Indo-Pacific are understandably worried that they may become the next Ukraine – lectured and pressured into submission by their own ally. The region needs to think through how to respond to maritime crises and forestall extreme scenarios that have become less remote possibilities.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hawaii troops forge alliances in Philippines
RELATED PHOTO GALLERY APARRI, PHILIPPINES—Last week the annual Exercise Balikatan—Tagalog for 'shoulder to shoulder '—officially wrapped up in the Philippines. The 40th iteration of the military exercise brought in service members from the U.S. as well as troops from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and Canada. Among them were troops from Hawaii-based units. 'Brings back memories, ' said Cpl. Justin Caluya, a member of the Kaneohe-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment who was born in the Philippine province of Ilocos Norte. Caluya was one of several Filipino Americans participating in the exercise who did double duty working as an impromptu interpreter helping bridge linguistic and cultural gaps. 'I've been here seven times, so I have a little bit of knowledge of the area, and it's always great to keep coming back and be able to train with everyone, ' said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Mark Zyble. 'It's always good to be able to integrate with other cultures—that's part of the reason of why I joined—and being able to work with partner forces and understand how other militaries are involved is just something that not many people might get to do.' Zyble said he feels a special connection to the Philippines. Back in Hawaii he lives in Ewa Beach with his wife in a home close to his Filipino in-laws, including his wife's grandmother from Ilocos Norte. He originally joined the Corps as a combat engineer but is now a member of the 3rd MLR's Civil Affairs team, which is tasked with outreach to civilian government agencies and community groups to gain their trust. Zyble said that in meetings with municipal and provincial leaders, 'what we're trying to do is just give us that placement and access so that we have good relations with those in the civil environment.' The 3rd MLR and members of the Army's Schofield Barracks-based 25th Infantry Division participated in Balikatan along with several other U.S. military units based in Japan and the West Coast. The exercise has grown much larger in recent years, especially as the Philippine military has shifted its focus from 'internal defense '—fighting rebels and insurgent groups—to 'external defense ' operations focused on protecting its coastlines and island territories. 'This is a grand departure from the Balikatan exercises that I was first involved with, beginning in 2017, ' said Philippine army Brig. Gen. Michael Logico. 'Back then we were doing small-unit operations purely at the tactical level … but now we have elevated it to the joint and combined level so where what you're looking at is integration of not only infantry, but also combined arms operations.' This year, that included everything from artillery, warships, aircraft, drone and missiles. U.S. troops trained around the country, using several new weapons for the first time in several locations. Participants in the exercise held live-fire training on the island of Palawan and the western coastal province of Zambales looking out into the South China Sea and on the northern coast of Cagayan province near the town of Aparri looking north toward Taiwan. International military observers In addition to those who came to train, the exercise brought international military observers to watch from Brunei, the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Indonesia, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. As forces participating in Balikatan trained, the Chinese military also trained nearby, including sending its aircraft carrier Shandong into waters claimed by the Philippines and carrying out flight deck operations about 123 nautical miles off the coast of Ilocos Norte on April 25. The next week, the Chinese military began a new naval patrol in the South China Sea and released a statement asserting that 'the Philippines has been frequently carrying out maritime infringement provocations, creating disturbances and pulling in countries from outside the region.' Back in Hawaii, top military brass and diplomats watched the Philippines from afar and took notes. At the same time, groups in Hawaii opposed to the exercise also watched closely and held their own events. On May 4 the Hawai 'i Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and Anakbayan Hawai 'i, a Filipino youth and student group, held a webinar condemning U.S. involvement in the Philippines. Anakbayan Hawai 'i said in a statement that it 'strongly condemns the increasing presence of the United States military in the Philippines. This not only includes the increasing size of the Balikatan exercises, but also the addition and regularization of other military trainings between the U.S. and the Armed Forces of the Philippines that put the Filipino people at risk.' Richard Rothschiller of the HiCHRP told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in a statement that the group 'is alarmed by the accelerating increase in the size of exercise Balikatan and other military engagements, including the use of Philippine military bases by the U.S. and more frequent port calls by the U.S. and other foreign navies in Subic Bay.' Rothschiller asserted that 'the U.S. seeks to make the Philippines a co-combatant by goading it to confront China. This year's annual joint U.S.-Philippines Balikatan exercises expanded even farther toward Taiwan than in previous years.' The exercise comes not long after the return of President Donald Trump to the White House after he won the 2024 election and a Pacific tour in March by his new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that included stops in Hawaii, Guam, Japan and the Philippines. The Trump administration has expressed skepticism of alliances and openly embraced a more transactional approach to foreign policy. But Hegseth pledged during his stop in the Philippines—with which the U.S. has a mutual defense treaty—that alliance would stay strong. Filipinos went to the polls this week in their own midterm election. A senior Philippine marine officer told the Star-Advertiser that 'we need to further improve ourselves, because the security environment is continuously evolving, and we need to also nurture our relationship since we are both democratic countries. … Democratic countries change their leadership, so we need to always reinforce our relationship. Policy changes as leadership changes.' South China Sea tensions The South China Sea—a busy waterway that nearly one-third of all global trade travels through—has become increasingly militarized over the past decade. Beijing claims nearly the entire sea as its exclusive territory over the objections of neighboring countries, and tensions have been mounting over territorial and navigation rights. In 2016 an international court ruled in favor of the Philippines and found that China's claims have 'no legal ' basis. Beijing rejected the ruling and has doubled down by building bases on disputed islands and reefs. The Chinese military has also harassed and sometimes attacked fishermen and other marine workers from neighboring countries—especially the Philippines. Tensions have also ramped up as China has also stepped up military operations around Taiwan, a self-ruled island democracy that Beijing regards as a rogue province. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed to bring Taiwan under Beijing's control, by force if necessary. On April 1 the Philippine military's top commander, Gen. Romeo Brawner, courted controversy when he told troops in the northern tip of the country to 'start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan.' Brawner, an alumnus of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Waikiki, asserted in his remarks to his troops that 'if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved. There are 250, 000 (overseas Filipino workers ) working in Taiwan, and we will have to rescue them. And it will be the task of Northern Luzon Command to be at the front line of that operation.' This year the Luzon Strait was a major focus of exercise Balikatan. U.S. and Philippine troops trained in the northernmost province of Batanes—a small island chain just south of Taiwan—and the 3rd MLR brought its brand-new NMESIS anti-ship missile system. Col. John Lehane, the 3rd MLR's commander, said that it's a key strategic area, noting that 'the Bashi Channel, the Luzon Strait runs through there, so all the world's key waterways kind of cut through.' It's not the first time Balikatan has brought U.S. troops to Batanes ; they've come at least three times prior. In 2024, German Caccam, mayor of the provincial capital, Basco, told Radio Free Asia that many residents welcome Exercise Balikatan 'because it makes us feel more secure, ' but also told the outlet, 'However, as the mayor of Basco, I am not so amenable with the presence of foreign forces, especially the U.S., because that will make us a target.' 'Untraditional training areas' A senior Philippine marine officer told the Star-Advertiser that during this year's Balikatan 'we were able to execute our counterlanding and live-fire exercises in areas which I think would be the most probable areas that this kind of conflict might arise.' Logico said that this year there was a shift toward 'untraditional training areas, ' taking troops from the bases and training ranges they're used to. He said, 'We have learned from these traditional training locations. So now for us to take a step further, we have to look for areas that we are unaccustomed to, and these are one of the areas we have to make us get used to training in these locations.' This year also included use of moving targets as troops shot drones out of the sky and pounded floating targets in the ocean with airstrikes and artillery. Logico said, 'That is something that we have never used before, so that adds a element of realism. We are not shooting at the stationary targets.' But for some Filipinos it was nerve-wracking. When the Star-Advertiser joined a group of Philippine troops for lunch at a restaurant in Aparri during the exercise, the owner nervously asked them if they were there because a war was about to break out. They assured him it was an annual exercise and that it was nothing to worry about. Col. Xerxes Trinidad, spokesman for the Philippine military, told the Star-Advertiser that this year various groups spread rumors about the exercise to stoke fears, and insisted that the Philippine military had been working to keep local governments and organizations informed of the exercise and where training was taking place. Sgt. Jon Rafus, an infantryman with the 3rd MLR who took part in the live-fire exercise in Aparri, said, 'If we have to go forward into into the next fight up north, on the the island chain, I think it's absolutely critical that we are here doing this (training ) with the (Philippine marines ), with the Philippine air force, with the Philippine army, working in tandem. Because we all have the same goals in mind, right ? Keeping all this land over here free and making sure certain people aren't encroaching where they don't need to be.'
