Philippines Ramps Up Defense Efforts Amid South China Sea Tensions.

The Philippines has announced an increase in defense spending and is seeking support from the private sector to strengthen its territorial claims in the South China Sea amidst ongoing tensions with China. This move includes a historic deployment of the country's Air Force to northern Australia, marking its first overseas deployment in sixty years, where it joined U.S. and Australian troops for combat exercises.
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BRP Miguel Malvar, Philippine Navy's newest corvette, launched in Korea on June 18, 2024(Picture source: DND Philippines)

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has unveiled plans to boost the defense budget to more than 1% of the nation’s GDP, excluding military pensions. The defense budget for fiscal year 2024 has been set at 278.1 billion pesos ($4.8 billion). Teodoro emphasized the need for modernizing the country's military capabilities to match those of its neighbors, especially as the Philippines' military assets have faced challenges due to frequent confrontations with Chinese forces in the South China Sea.

Moreover, the Defense Secretary is exploring innovative financial strategies, including the sale of debt instruments, to engage investors optimistic about the potential upgrade of the country’s credit rating and other opportunities within the defense industry. "It's up to them to see what the market's appetite is at any given time," Teodoro stated at a business forum.

In a significant move to bolster its military readiness, the Philippines Air Force participated in the Pitch Black war games in Australia's Northern Territory. This exercise involved four Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and 162 personnel. This deployment, the first time Philippine combat aircraft have been stationed overseas since 1963, involved 20 countries and 140 aircraft. The vast airspace of the Northern Territory was used for a range of combat practices, from dogfighting to advanced radar and missile operations.

Royal Australian Air Force Air Commodore Pete Robinson highlighted the strategic importance of this exercise, noting that combining forces with U.S. F-22 stealth fighters and Australia's F-35A and F-18s would lead to significant operational improvements. "Bringing that package together will provide an impressive outcome that is stronger than its parts," Robinson explained.

Acknowledging the need to modernize its fleet, the Philippines is considering acquiring long-range, multi-role fighters, though no specific aircraft has been decided upon yet. The aim is to upgrade aging equipment, which includes relics from World War II and helicopters from the Vietnam War era.

Recent military cooperation with Australia and Japan, which includes agreements allowing military movements through each other's territories and joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, shows the Philippines' intent to strengthen regional defense ties. These partnerships are designed to build interoperability and maximize the combined strengths of the allied forces to maintain peace and stability in the region, according to Air Commodore Robinson.