Latest news with #ExerciseBalikatan
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.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hawaii Marines field new weapons in the Philippines
SUBIC BAY, Philippines — A unit of Hawaii Marines is in the Philippines fielding new weapons for the first time amid simmering tensions with China. The Kaneohe-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, which is in the country for the annual Exercise Balikatan, sent its new Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System—better known as the NMESIS—on Saturday to the northern Batanes Islands in the Luzon Strait, just south of Taiwan. Formerly the 3rd Marine Regiment, the unit officially re-designated as the 3rd MLR in 2022 and is the Marine Corps's first littoral regiment, part of the service's Force Design 2030. It's an effort to bring the Marines back to their roots as a naval fighting force focused on island and coastal fighting. The 3rd MLR is serving as the model for the Corps' facelift, and NMESIS, an anti-ship missile system, plays a central role in that vision. Col. John Lehane, the 3rd MLR's commander, said, 'One of the things we looked at is, if you can control choke points, then you control the commerce that goes through them. And so any place where you find key maritime terrain like that, that's a suitable place to put a weapon system like that. So it's great rehearsal for us and great to help us integrate with what the Filipinos want to do for their archipelagic coastal defense concept.' The unit has deployed to the Philippines for each iteration of Balikatan since 2022, but this is the first time it actually brought NMESIS—which it received in Hawaii in late 2024—along with other new weapon systems and equipment as the regiment takes shape and puts the concepts behind its creation into practice. 'One thing I've been telling folks, we're not an experimental unit, ' said Lehane. 'We are an initially operational capable element of the fleet Marine force who happens to do some experimentation, but my first and only focus is making these Marines as lethal and as survivable as possible if they're called upon to do something in crisis or conflict for the nation.' But this year's deployment, with multiple weapons system in the hands of the Hawaii Marines seeing their overseas debut, is a milestone. 'From now on, when you see the MLR … it will have NMESIS with it, and it will have all of the parts and pieces that are exciting because they're new, but to us they're just becoming normal, ' said Lehane. 'These are not experimental systems ; they are fielded and ready to go.' As the U.S. trains with Philippine forces, the Chinese military is conducting its own operations around the Philippines in close proximity. Last week the Chinese navy's aircraft carrier Shandong sailed into waters claimed by the Philippines and carried out flight deck operations about 123 nautical miles off the coast of Ilocos Norte province April 25. Over the weekend, the U.S. and Philippine militaries conducted live-fire air defense drills together in the western coastal province of Zambales, where the 3rd MLR used its new Marine Air Defense Integrated System—better known as MADIS—which it first used in February to down drones in an exercise on Hawaii island. As they did, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Chinese coast guard had 'implemented maritime control ' over Sandy Cay, a small sandbank in the disputed Spratly Islands, which both Beijing and Manila claim as their own. Sandy Cay lies near Thitu Island, which has a Philippine military air field and naval station. Chinese media released photos of Chinese coast guardsmen standing on the small formation holding a Chinese flag. In response, a small group of Philippine Marines, coast guardsmen and police went from Thitu Island to Sandy Cay on Sunday and took photos of themselves holding a Philippine flag. On Tuesday 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 to organise so-called 'joint patrols.'' Island fights Under Force Design 2030, Marine Corps leaders envision a return to the 'island hopping ' operations the service conducted in the Pacific during World War II—but with a 21st-century twist. They envision Marines using high-tech sensors, communication systems, drones and missiles, as they spread out across island chains operating in small groups, that would have the potential to wreak havoc on their opponents. The service has gotten rid of all of its tanks and has phased out traditional cannon-based artillery on Oahu to replace them with NMESIS, which commanders hope to use to sink enemy ships from missile batteries that Marines would set up on islands and coastlines as they support Navy operations and allied forces. During the development of NMESIS, the U.S. military put a prototype through the paces at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai in 2021, when it was used to fire on a decommissioned vessel. Sgt. Christian Chonperez, an artilleryman who spent his career operating traditional cannon artillery, is one of the Hawaii Marines now operating NMESIS in the Philippines. He said that compared with howitzers he originally used, NMESIS has 'way more advanced capabilities compared to that.' But he said it's been a relatively easy transition for him and his fellow Marines as they work with the new missile launcher, saying, 'The way the system is built is to be very user-friendly towards the operator.' Unlike the old, which had to be towed by a truck or slung under a helicopter to move to different locations, NMESIS is mounted on a remote-controlled vehicle chassis, allowing Marines to quickly drive it from place to place, quickly moving to new firing positions and using 'shoot and scoot ' tactics to avoid return fire from enemy forces. Chonperez said that 'a lot of what we're doing right now is very logistical, just so this proves that we can take it wherever we want and put it in any environment, any kind of place. So moving is a lot of what we're doing.' Force Design 2030 is in many ways tailor-made with the Western Pacific in mind, with a particular focus on the South China Sea—a busy waterway that nearly one-third of all global trade travels through. 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 been ramping 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, raised eyebrows 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.' Changing tactics Down in Zambales the MLR's anti-aircraft battalion teamed up with the Philippine air force and U.S. Army as they shot down drones in coastal defense drills where they put their new MADIS system to the test. The system consists of pairs of armored vehicles equipped with a host of advanced cameras and sensors to detect small drone threats and using a mixture of weapons and jamming devices to take them down. The system was originally inspired by the U.S. military's experiences fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, where the militants began using low-cost commercial drones to spy on and in some cases attack local and coalition forces. Drones have only become more ubiquitous on battlefields around the world, with both sides of the conflict in Ukraine in particular using drones to deadly effect. On April 15 the Philippine navy announced that it had concluded that mysterious underwater drones that had been found by Filipino fishermen likely came from China and were being used to spy in Philippine waters and map the area for submarine operations. 'It's not just adversaries ; it's fishermen, it's (everyday people ). I'm a drone hobbyist. I fly a drone on my own, ' said Lehane. 'They are just becoming part and parcel to everyday life. And so all the more important that we're able to, one, detect them ; two, classify what they are ; three, determine whether or not there's (hostile ) intent ; and then four, if necessary, take them out of the sky.' The MADIS was tested in Arizona before making its way to Marines in Hawaii. The armored trucks operating the system are still painted desert tan for Middle Eastern operations rather than the tropical Pacific environments the Corps largely envisions the MLR operating in. It's a visible reminder of the long legacy of two decades of costly, bloody warfare in the Middle East that still casts a long shadow over U.S. military operations today. Lt. Col. Matthew Sladek, commander of 3rd MLR's anti-aircraft battalion, said the military's equipment-testing organizations' focus 'has all been desert, desert, desert, because that's where we've fought for the last 20 years.' He explained that the MADIS trucks the Marines are using in Balikatan 'are the first ones out the door, fielded by the program office. When these guys go back to Hawaii, these trucks will actually make their way back to Charleston, South Carolina, and then we'll get replaced with full rate production trucks, which will come back here.' One of the major tests is how new systems actually fare in the humid, tropical coasts and islands in the South China Sea. Sladek said that while the weapons themselves have been fine, the hot, moist air poses challenges for advanced sensors and computer systems and that 'there's some things we got to work through.' The dramatic transformation of the Marine Corps has been controversial, with many retired Marine officers expressing skepticism and in some cases dismay at the radical changes. They charge that getting rid of tanks and other equipment to focus on unproven high-tech systems is wrong and that Chinese forces would obliterate them in a real confrontation. Lehane said several critics have come to Marine Corps Base Hawaii to question him and see for themselves, and that many have softened their criticism. He told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 'When you get a look at it from the outside, maybe you don't understand all the facts or the arrangements, or what intel is driving us to do the things that we're doing, but none of it is haphazard.' Among the concerns is that the focus on missile batteries, drone and high-tech gadgets takes away the focus on infantrymen and will erode their fighting skills. But Lehane says the infantry remains central and that 'the focus on the regiment, the focus of the battalion and company commanders, is all back on the basics. You know, are you physically fit ? When you squeeze the trigger on a rifle, can you strike the target the first time and every time ? Do you know your orders ? Do you know how to patrol ?' Lehane added that 'no matter how amazing all of this equipment is—newest radar, coolest air defense thing, best anti-ship missile—all of that is mildly interesting if you can't do the basics.'
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US and Allied Drills Counter China's Island-Taking Tactics
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States and its allies in the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines and Australia, held a live-fire drill to counter China's island landing operations in the disputed South China Sea. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters The U.S. and the Philippines, which have formed an alliance under a mutual defense treaty, are conducting Exercise Balikatan—their largest annual war game—in the Southeast Asian archipelagic country from April 21 to May 9, with the involvement of Australia and Japan. This comes as China asserts sovereignty over most of the territories in the South China Sea. Beijing's claims overlap with those of neighboring nations. Last week, Chinese personnel displayed a national flag on an uninhabited feature near a Philippine island in the region. What To Know In a set of photos released on Thursday, the U.S. and Philippine Marines, as well as soldiers from the Australian army, fired artillery weapons at a floating target during a counter-landing exercise in Rizal, located on the island of Palawan in southwestern Philippines, on Monday. Philippine Marines fire an artillery weapon as part of a counter-landing live fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Philippine Marines fire an artillery weapon as part of a counter-landing live fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Spc. Riley Anfinson/U.S. Army Reserve Exercise Balikatan strengthened the U.S.-Philippine alliance and its "capable combined force," the photo captions read, displaying the allies' commitment to regional security and stability. The exercise also saw the participation of the U.S. Army, which mobilized the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The rocket launcher is capable of projecting "precise, long-range fire" while quickly maneuvering in and out of operational environments. The allied counter-landing exercise comes as the Chinese military released a video showing its four amphibious warships, which are capable of projecting ground and air power during island-landing campaigns, forming a landing ship flotilla for training in the South China Sea. During Exercise Balikatan, the U.S. military employed new, advanced weapons for the first time, including the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). This U.S. Marine Corps' anti-ship missile system was deployed near the Luzon Strait on April 26. Philippine Marines, Australian soldiers, and United States Marines fire at a floating target during a counter-landing live-fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Philippine Marines, Australian soldiers, and United States Marines fire at a floating target during a counter-landing live-fire exercise during Exercise Balikatan in Rizal in the Philippines on April 28, 2025. Spc. Riley Anfinson/U.S. Army Reserve Meanwhile, the U.S. Army tested its directed energy weapon during an integrated air and missile defense drill on Monday. The Integrated Fires Protection Capability High-Powered Microwave (IFPC-HPM) emits microwave energy to disrupt, disable or destroy drones. What People Are Saying Lieutenant General James F. Glynn, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, said: "Together with our steadfast allies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and with the growing involvement of nations with shared vital interests, like Australia and Japan, we are operating as a force with mutually supporting capabilities ready to meet challenges in the region and defend a free and open Indo-Pacific." Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said: "We always hold that military cooperation between countries should not target or hurt the interests of any third party, nor should it jeopardize regional peace and stability ... However, the Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the US and other outside countries." What Happens Next Both the U.S. and the Philippines, as well as China, are expected to continue flexing their military power in and around the South China Sea as Manila and Beijing refuse to back down over the sovereignty disputes in the contested waters.
Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Times
China and the Philippines launch selfie war over disputed reef
China and the Philippines are engaged in a war of selfies over a tiny disputed sand bank in the South China Sea, as the United States conducts military exercises in the region. Both countries have released rival photographs of coastguard personnel holding national flags on Sandy Cay Reef, to which each claims sovereignty. After posing for the camera, both parties left the island, leaving nothing behind on the featureless expanse of 167 sq metres of broken coral. The active assertion of territorial claims further raises tension in the region, where 14,000 US and Philippines troops are taking part in exercises described by commanders as a 'full battle test'. The row began on Saturday when Chinese state media published the photograph of four black-clad personnel holding up a flag on what Beijing calls Tiexian Reef in was described as a 'show of sovereignty'. Because it projects above the sea at high tide, a nation with sovereignty over Sandy Cay can claim the 12 km (7.5 miles) of territorial sea around it. This would overlap with the Philippines which has an airstrip and military base on Thitu island, 5 miles to the east. • China accuses Lammy of raising tensions with South China Sea visit The Phillipines should have detected the Chinese landing, but responded only after it was made public with a landing of five personnel and a flag photograph of their own. 'During the operation, the teams observed the illegal presence of China Coast Guard [vessel] 5102, approximately 1,000 yards east of Cay-2 as well as seven Chinese maritime militia vessels,' the Philippines coastguard said. 'This operation reflects the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine government to uphold the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.' After their departure, the Chinese coastguard made another landing 'to verify and deal with the situation in accordance with the law [and to] immediately stop its infringement', according to a statement. So far, both sides appear to be taking pains to prevent symbolic assertions of sovereignty turning into a physical confrontation. But they add to the tension during the fortnight-long Exercise Balikatan, in which the US is simulating anti-ship missile attacks intended against Chinese vessels. James Hewitt, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said: 'Actions like these threaten regional stability and violate international law. We are consulting closely with our own partners and remain committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump's East Asia policy is incoherent
As President Trump's tariff announcements dominated headlines last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was undertaking the more routine version of what is grandly termed 'defense diplomacy.' He traveled to the Philippines and Japan, having first visited the headquarters of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii and the strategically vital bomber station at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. After what most people would have regarded as the profound public humiliation of the Signal group chat leak, Hegseth was on more predictable and scripted territory, but his mission was important. He was seeking to reassure America's allies in the Pacific that, even if the Trump administration is less interested in events in Europe, its commitment to containing China and supporting America's regional security partners remains a central part of its security policy. In Manila, Hegseth met President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and the secretary of national defense and announced that the U.S. was not only steadfast in its commitment to the Philippines, but would deploy additional assets and increase training, industrial and cyber cooperation. This includes providing the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System anti-ship missiles for the annual Exercise Balikatan in April and May. When he reached Japan, there were more plans and commitments. Hegseth seemingly cannot last the duration of a media event without talking about 'warfighting' or 'the warrior ethos.' It is an oddly pleading obsession with crude displays of machismo, but it was the context in which he made his announcements. U.S. Forces Japan, the 55,000 personnel deployed at 15 major bases around the home islands, will be upgraded. What is currently a subordinate unified command with mainly administrative functions will be transformed into a joint force headquarters. This will give it more operational and, yes, warfighting responsibilities, making it better able to react in a crisis. The new organization will also work more closely in cooperation with Japan's new Joint Operations Command, set up only weeks ago as a stronger central authority, which commands the three branches of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (ground, maritime and air). There are two striking features about all of these changes and reorganizations. The first is that they are definite indicators of an intention to maintain America's military reach in the Pacific, strengthening and streamlining the way the U.S. military will operate and interact with allies. This stands in sharp contrast to Trump's tetchy thinking-out-loud in March, when he reflected that the current security arrangements meant that America 'has to protect Japan,' but 'they don't have to protect us,' asking rhetorically, 'Who makes these deals?' The second element worth observing is that these policies represent continuity, the ongoing fulfilment of promises made during the Biden administration. The Trump narrative depicts the years between 2021 and 2025 as the valley of the shadow of death, the fons et origo of every problem now facing America. Yet it was Biden who agreed to help the Philippines upgrade its military capability, and Biden who announced the upgrading of U.S. Forces Japan. This should be encouraging. Trump is the embodiment of an unreliable friend, so public commitments to Manila and Tokyo are a positive sign, reinforcing the mutual security agreements the U.S. made with the Philippines in 1951 and Japan in 1960. The reemergence of Japan as a major factor in regional security is especially welcome. I wrote here in December 2023 that 'over the last 10 years, Japan has quietly transformed its military capability and stance' and 'bluntly … the West needs Japan.' Yet when 'Liberation Day,' as Trump inexplicably billed April 2, arrived and his beloved tariff system was unveiled, Japan found itself subject to an across-the-board levy of 24 percent. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba admitted 'we are extremely disappointed and regret that such measures have been implemented'; he intends to ask for them to be reviewed, but accepts results 'will not come overnight' — although Trump soon announced a 90-day pause in the levies after global stock markets tanked. In comparison, the Philippines was treated generously, with only a 17 percent tariff, but two other vital regional allies had hefty penalties applied: Taiwan at 32 percent and South Korea at 25 percent. The tariff regime makes no sense in any event, calculated on an elaborate formula that betrays either mendacity or a failure to understand basic economics. Taken on its own terms, however, it is a catastrophically contradictory counterpart to the painstaking East Asian security agreements, not just threatening the prosperity of supposedly close allies but causing regional and global economic disruption. Trump has presented his friends with lifebelts, then summoned Poseidon to raise a storm. Trump seems to relish the potential benefits of the largely discredited 'madman theory,' that he gains an advantage through sheer unpredictability. But it is hard to see how allies are expected to react, with near-bipartisan decisions on military deployments meeting impulsive and damaging economic policy. Strengthening ties with Japan and the Philippines is good, but they are America's friends. Washington should not seek to make life unnecessarily difficult for them, or else what are alliances worth? Eliot Wilson is a freelance writer on politics and international affairs and the co-founder of Pivot Point Group. He was senior official in the U.K. House of Commons from 2005 to 2016, including serving as a clerk of the Defence Committee and secretary of the U.K. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
