Perched at the very crossroads of the Indo-Pacific, the Philippines is more than just a cluster of islands, it is a gatekeeper to sea lanes that carry over a third of the world’s maritime trade and a cornerstone of the “first island chain” that shapes U.S. and allied defense strategy. Beneath these same contested waters…
The South China Sea has entered a dangerous new phase as great-power rivalry collides with long-running territorial disputes. In mid-September 2025 the United States, Japan, and the Philippines carried out joint maritime exercises inside Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone to demonstrate unity and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Within hours, China’s Southern Theater…
The Scarborough Shoal, called Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China, has once again become the center of an escalating maritime dispute. The Philippines answered China’s September 10, 2025 declaration of a “national nature reserve” with a strong, unequivocal diplomatic protest, insisting the plan is an “illegitimate and unlawful” infringement on…
The Indo-Pacific is bracing for a new era of tension, as rival powers jostle for influence and flashpoints from the Taiwan Strait to the West Philippine Sea threaten to ignite. At the heart of the Philippines’ forward defense stands Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) and the Philippine Marine Corps, the nation’s vital first responders to any…
China’s latest move at Scarborough Shoal shows how one remote reef can ignite a global maritime crisis. For the Philippines, this low-lying atoll just 124 nautical miles from Luzon is both a traditional fishing ground and, under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), part of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The…
The Philippines, an archipelago nation with more than 7,600 islands, sits at the heart of one of the most contested maritime regions in the world. At the center of its long-term defense strategy was the acquisition of the F-16 Block 70/72 Viper, a 4.5-generation multirole fighter that promised advanced sensors, combat credibility, and seamless interoperability…
Once the jewel of American military power in Asia, Subic Bay is now poised for a dramatic transformation once again. The proposed establishment of a U.S. ammunition and logistics hub in Subic Bay, described by some as the “world’s largest,” represents a pivotal shift in U.S.-Philippine defense relations. The project, located within the Subic Bay…
The Philippine Navy has entered a transformative phase with the arrival of the BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), the second of the Miguel Malvar-class guided-missile frigates and a critical milestone in the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program. This newest asset, built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea, represents not just another…
The Philippines has become an unavoidable player in the Indo-Pacific’s most dangerous flashpoints. Its northern islands sit less than 100 miles from Taiwan, placing the country directly inside the “First Island Chain” and along the critical Luzon Strait, a chokepoint for China’s naval access to the Pacific. At the same time, the Marcos Jr. administration…
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most volatile flashpoints, where strategic ambition collides with the sovereignty of smaller states. At the heart of this struggle lies China’s sweeping “nine-dash line” claim, invalidated by the 2016 arbitral ruling but still enforced through island-building and “gray-zone” coercion. For years, the Philippines appeared the passive…
