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Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. and Philippines Boost Military Ties To Counter China Threats
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on May 30 to discuss joint efforts to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. The high-level talks underscore America's deepening military cooperation with Manila as tensions escalate in contested South China Sea waters. The meeting built upon prior discussions held in Manila on March 28, when Hegseth reaffirmed America's commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty — the cornerstone of what officials describe as the 'ironclad' U.S.-Philippines alliance. Hegseth praised the Philippines for standing firm against China's aggressive tactics targeting lawful Philippine maritime activities. The Defense Department noted that the two leaders celebrated the recent conclusion of Exercise BALIKATAN. This year's iteration marked the largest and most complex joint training exercise in the alliance's history. The massive war games showcased America's deployment of increasingly sophisticated military hardware to the region. Advanced systems included the Typhon missile system and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System. The exercises also featured highly capable unmanned surface vessels, signaling a new era of autonomous warfare. Both secretaries emphasized how such joint training enhances deterrence against potential Chinese aggression and committed to continued progress in strengthening defense cooperation between their nations. The leaders stressed the importance of partnership and transparency in their approach to deterring China. Their discussions focused on practical steps to further enhance alliance readiness across the Pacific theater.
Asia Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
US missiles fall short in long-range game with China
The US is arming up for a Pacific missile race but China may already be playing on a larger board. Last month, the US Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) unveiled legislation stating that the US Army will receive significant funding boosts for medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) programs under a new appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025. The legislation allocates US$175 million to expand production capacity for next-generation US Army MRBMs, aiming to enhance output and strengthen supplier bases. An additional $114 million is directed toward producing these next-generation systems, complementing the $300 million earmarked for the production of current Army MRBM platforms. Separately, $50 million has been set aside for the accelerated development of the US Army's next-generation medium-range anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM). The investments reflect a broad strategy to bolster the US Army's medium-range strike capabilities amid growing global missile threats. Funding for these programs is part of a broader munitions and supply chain resiliency initiative. The targeted outlays underscore the US Department of Defense's (DOD) increasing prioritization of flexible, survivable missile systems capable of addressing emerging threats across multiple theaters. Putting MRBM capabilities into perspective, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation describes the range of such weapons as falling between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometers, noting that these are 'theater-level' weapons. Fielded in the Pacific, such a weapon would represent a significant leap in capability over existing US systems such as the Typhon and Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), which have ranges of about 500 to 2,000 kilometers for the former firing Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles, and 185 kilometers for the latter tactical anti-ship system. Further, ballistic missiles may be much more effective against hardened targets, such as aircraft shelters and missile silos, as they travel at hypersonic speeds during their terminal phase, giving them tremendous kinetic energy that allows them to damage such targets or cause them to collapse. Timothy Walton and Tom Shugart III mention in a January 2025 Hudson Institute report that since the early 2010s, China has doubled the number of its hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), of which it now has 3,000. Walton and Shugart say that China maintains 134 airbases within 1,800 kilometers of the Taiwan Strait, with 650 HAS and 2,000 non-hardened individual aircraft shelters (IAS). Meanwhile, Newsweek reported in December 2024 that China has 368 known missile silos, with 30 silos in its central region, 18 in the south, 90 in the north and 230 in the west. According to Ryan Snyder in a December 2024 article in the peer-reviewed Science & Global Security journal, those silos are estimated to be hardened to 1,500 pounds per square inch (psi), with older ones rated at 450 psi. Snyder says Chinese missile silos feature sophisticated shock isolation systems designed to attenuate horizontal missile movement within. As for the advantages of ASBMs over other types of anti-ship missiles, Andrew Erickson mentions in the 2013 book 'Chinese Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM) Development: Drivers, Trajectories, and Strategic Implications' that such weapons can bypass traditional carrier defenses by striking from above at high speeds, effectively removing the carrier's air group—the primary line of defense—from the defensive equation. Erickson says this capability creates a severe targeting and interception challenge, as defending against missiles is inherently more difficult than defending against submarines or aircraft. He also notes that ASBMs exploit adversary naval vulnerabilities without requiring a direct match to those capabilities, offering potentially devastating, precise and hard-to-defend 'multi-axis' strikes. Tying up these developments into a larger operational picture, Thomas Mahnken and others mention in a 2019 Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) report that the US maritime pressure strategy aims to dissuade Chinese leaders from aggression in the Pacific. The writers note the strategy entails establishing highly-survivable precision-strike networks in the First Island Chain spanning Japan's southern island of Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines, backed by naval, air, electronic warfare and other capabilities. Mahnken and others say that these decentralized networks would function as an 'inside force' optimized to attack People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces from inside its anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) bubble, while supported by 'outside forces' able to join the fight from further afield. They note that land-based anti-ship, anti-air and electronic warfare units along the First Island Chain would serve as the backbone of the inside-out operational concept—both anchoring frontline defense and freeing up US ships and aircraft for higher-priority missions such as striking surveillance nodes, reinforcing gaps and exploiting opportunities created by ground-based strikes. However, Grant Georgulis argues in a 2022 Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs article that the First Island Chain is neither a survivable nor a viable operating area due to Chinese military capabilities such as long-range bombers, cruise missiles and theater ballistic missiles. Underscoring that threat, the US DOD 2024 China Military Power Report (CMPR) shows that the First and Second Island Chain spanning the Bonin Islands, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands and Western New Guinea are entirely within the range of the PLA's long-range strike capabilities. While Georgulis recommends strengthening the Second Island Chain, China has steadily expanded its regional influence, aiming to deny US access to potential island bases and emplace dual-use infrastructure to support power projection beyond the First Island Chain. In line with that, Shijie Wang mentions in a March 2025 Jamestown Foundation article that China aims to overcome US-imposed containment in the Pacific, deepening ties with Pacific Island countries such as Nauru, Micronesia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Samoa. Wang says China's recently signed 'Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation' memorandum with the Cook Islands has raised concerns about the potential dual-use infrastructure that could offer logistical support for the PLA Navy (PLAN) and expand its presence in the Third Island Chain, which spans the Aleutian Islands, American Samoa, Fiji, Hawaii and New Zealand. Underscoring China's increasing influence in the region, the Lowy Institute 2024 Pacific Aid Map mentions that while Australia remains the largest donor to Pacific Island countries, China has become the second-largest one, narrowly edging out the US while increasing its project commitments. While the US's development of MRBMs signifies it is doubling down on military containment of China in the First Island Chain, considering China's long-range strike capabilities and increasing influence among Pacific Island nations, such military-centric views risk underestimating the broader geopolitical landscape and China's rising regional entrenchment.
South China Morning Post
30-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US, Philippines flex military muscle with Himars live-fire drills near South China Sea
Long-time allies the United States and the Philippines have flexed their military muscle by firing six rockets in a defence drill on Palawan Island, in a show of sustained American commitment to Manila. Advertisement Defence experts say the show of strength from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) could signal its potential long-term deployment, much like the Typhon arsenal that previously raised China 's ire. They caution however that it would be premature to consider it as sign of a golden age in US-Philippine relations under President Donald Trump On Monday, about 500 troops from the Philippines , the US and Australia conducted a maritime interdiction drill in Rizal, where Manila's navy intercepted a remote-controlled vessel approaching the coast. Part of this year's ongoing large-scale Balikatan – or shoulder to shoulder – exercise, the drill culminated in a precision strike showcasing the Himars system's quick and accurate response to amphibious threats. Advertisement 'We achieved everything we set out to achieve,' US Marines commander Major General Thomas Savage told reporters. 'We're trying to demonstrate a capability to work together. The exercise you saw is agnostic of an enemy. If somebody is trying to interfere with a sovereign nation, that's what we're trying to demonstrate.'
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows Reach of US Missiles on China's Doorstep
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 U.S. military has deployed a high-precision anti-ship missile launcher to a far-north Philippine province near Taiwan as part of the two allies' largest annual series of military drills, the Balikatan exercise. China's Foreign Ministry lodged "serious representations" with Manila's ambassador to the country, Jimmy FlorCruz, on Monday over what it described as recent negative developments in Taiwan-related and security fields by the Philippine side. Why It Matters China has sharply criticized the drills and the first-ever deployment of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), saying the arrival of that and other "strategic and tactical weapons" destabilizes the region. China's Foreign Ministry last week also warned "those who play with fire" when it comes to the Taiwan issue, which Beijing considers a red line. China remains angered by the continued presence of the U.S. Army's Mid-Range Capability (MRC), or Typhon missile launcher, which was deployed ahead of last year's Balikatan. Philippine officials had initially suggested the system would be removed in the months following the drills, before later indicating it could remain indefinitely. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, and U.S. Department of Defense with emailed requests for comment What To Know The Typhon system was sent to a northwestern coastal area facing Scarborough Shoal in January, according to a Philippine official cited by The Associated Press in a Sunday report. That would put much of southeastern China's seaboard within reach of the Typhon's Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of roughly 1,000 miles. The MRC can also be equipped with Standard Missile-6 interceptors capable of striking targets up to 290 miles away. The United States Marine Corps deploys the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System on Batan island in the Philippines Batanes province on April 26, 2025. The United States Marine Corps deploys the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System on Batan island in the Philippines Batanes province on April 26, 2025. /Armed Forces of the Philippines The NMESIS system, with a surface-to-ship range of 125 miles, has been deployed to the Philippines' northernmost province of Batanes in the strategic Luzon Strait that lies between the Philippines and Taiwan. The strait would be critical for U.S. and allied forces in the event of a conflict over Taiwan—the self-governed island Beijing has pledged to bring into the fold, through force if necessary. The NMESIS' range would be sufficient to threaten Chinese naval forces attempting to break through this chokepoint. The U.S. has emphasized that the NMESIS will be used only in simulated, not live-fire, training during the ongoing drills. China has pledged to eventually bring Taiwan into the fold. The People's Liberation Army' has ramped up it number of large-scale military exercises it stages around the island, in what U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Paparo has warned are "dress rehearsals for forced unification." Following the latest series of drills earlier this month, Philippine Defense Secretary Romeo Brawner said his country must be prepared for a potential Taiwan invasion. "Because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved." The Philippines remains locked in a territorial dispute with China, which claims most of the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippine maritime zone, despite a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that dismissed Beijing's claims. The United States and the Philippines share a decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty, and in recent years, the Southeast Asian country has expanded the number of military bases accessible to U.S. forces. What People Are Saying Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military analyst, told state media outlet the Global Times last week: "By deploying two types of missile systems, the U.S. has established a comprehensive long-, medium-, and short-range strike network, with a maximum range of 1,800 kilometers, covering China's southeastern coastal areas, the Taiwan Straits, the Bashi Channel, and the northern South China Sea." The Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) Sunday: "The NMESIS provides the combined and joint force a flexible and expedient sea denial capacity, contributing to the collective defense of both countries." What's Next China is likely to continue its objections to the presence of both the Typhon and NMESIS systems in the Philippines. The Balikatan drills are scheduled to conclude on May 10.
Epoch Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Beijing's Embassy in Manila Engaged in ‘Treasonous' Disinformation Campaign, Lawmaker Alleges
Beijing's embassy in Manila had hired a company in the Philippines to 'destroy the credibility not just of a person or a leader, but of the country,' according to Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, who is also chairperson of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones. During a hearing of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones on alleged spying by Beijing, Tolentino said the embassy had hired a troll farm to spread disinformation. This included the supposed disadvantages to the Philippines of having the U.S. Typhon missile system and the dangers of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s regime, considering the 'history of its dictatorship family'—a reference to the notorious rule of his father, Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed in a coup in 1986. Tolentino alleged that government investigations had found 330 fraudulent Facebook and X accounts that had been created to spread propaganda, which were made to appear as sentiments of legitimate users. 'This is not a normal PR campaign,' he said. 'What they do is to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government. This shows that the People's Republic of China paid them to destroy the credibility not just of a person or a leader, but of the country.' He presented what he claimed was a contract between the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and Makati-based marketing firm InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, and a copy of a cheque, written on Sept. 11, 2023, for 930,000 pesos (US$16,500/A$25,900) that he said the embassy paid to the company. He said it has been signed by Wu Chenqi, the embassy's director for media and public relations. 'The money that the Chinese Embassy paid was for something hidden and sinister. It was to finance a troll farm. A covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people,' he said. Related Stories 3/26/2025 3/4/2025 He said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) financed the campaign because it 'does not want the Philippines to have the means to defend its territory and sovereignty.' Tolentino told Congress that all parties needed to agree on how to confront such activities, including creating a strong and effective law on spying. He also wants the government to identify and pursue more troll farms. Clamping Down on CCP Influence On April 28, the National Security Council (NSC) alleged there were 'indications' that 'state-sponsored' information operations by Beijing are being conducted to interfere in the May 12 midterm election results by targeting candidates critical of the CCP and supporting those in favour. NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said these accusations 'appeared to be legitimate' and the NSC had asked the National Bureau of Investigation to build a case and charge those responsible. In January this year, Manila announced it had arrested a suspected CCP spy, along with two Filipino accomplices. The alleged spy is a graduate of a university 'controlled and operated by the People's Liberation Army (PLA),' NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Jeremy Lotoc said in a press conference. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Chief Jaime Santiago gestures beside a confiscated vehicle containing equipment during a press presentation of Chinese nationals and their Philippine accomplices, arrested for alleged espionage, at the NBI office in Manila on Feb. 25, 2025. TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images He was a specialist in 'control engineering,' and authorities had found high-tech equipment in his vehicle that could be used for surveillance. These included a laser sensor and a GPS tracker, which Lotoc said could 'pick up frequencies in critical structures like military bases, police camps. They are collating data, they have remote equipment that is transferred in real time outside our country.' The alleged spy had visited areas where Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites are located. The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities for use by both American and Philippine forces. House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V said Beijing's activities were 'foreign interference—designed to infiltrate our politics, confuse our people, and weaken our country from the inside,' and alleged that pro-CCP candidates were among those standing for election. He described the situation as 'unacceptable and treasonous.' 'They are paying Filipinos to discredit our own country,' he said. The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) joined in condemning the use of fake accounts to spread disinformation, calling the practice unethical and careless. 'While our role is to uphold and strengthen the reputation of our clients and organisations, this is not to be done at the expense of societal good,' PRSP said. 'We believe in the power of words and stories to shape public perception and opinion. As such, we exert utmost care and effort to ensure that we adhere to a set of ethical standards in the practice of our profession.' Disinformation researchers who studied the 2019 elections found an increased use of influencers and 'troll farms' to help win over potential voters, with PR, marketing, and advertising firms discreetly offering these services to clients, the Society said.
