Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, July 29, 2021. DoD Photo
MANILA – The Duterte administration has re-committed to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) basing deal that would let U.S. forces operate from the Philippines after a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Read More
USS Wasp (LHD-1) makes a port visit to Subic Bay, the Philippines in support of Exercise Balikatan 2019 on April 1, 2019. US Navy Photo
MANILA — The U.S. and the Philippines are set to reinforce a contentious agreement allowing U.S. troops to operate from the island nation as tensions with China remain high, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said during a pre-State of the Nation Address forum on Wednesday. Read More
An MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 flies over the landscape during exercise KAMANDAG 3 near Subic Bay, Philippines, Oct. 12, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo
For a second time, the Philippine government has paused plans to terminate part of its Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. Read More
The guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) conducts routine underway operations. Russell is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer performed a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea on Wednesday, U.S. 7th Fleet announced. Read More
USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) steams near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on July 14, 2020. US Navy Photo
Freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea puts stress on the fleet when the Navy could use that time more effectively “to train up for high-end conflict,” a national security expert who served in the Trump administration said Friday. Read More
USS Wasp (LHD-1) makes a port visit to Subic Bay, the Philippines in support of Exercise Balikatan 2019 on April 1, 2019. US Navy Photo
The Philippine government is putting the brakes on its plan to end a critical aspect of its Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S., but experts say it is too soon to tell whether this decision signals a warming relationship between the two allies.
March 27, 2020 image of a Chinese Installation on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea. CSIS Image
China is tightening its grip on disputed claims in the South China Sea by beefing up its military capability and planting the seeds of long-term habitability on the artificial islands at the core of its regional economic influence strategy.
(May 28, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) transits the South China Sea. U.S. Navy photo
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG-89) conducted a freedom of navigation operation past the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea Thursday, the Navy announced.
The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) operates in the South China Sea. Navy photo
Over the weekend, Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) conducted a freedom of navigation operation through waters near the Spratly Islands claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, the Navy said.
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) sails through the South China Sea on Nov. 18, 2019. US Navy Photo
A pair of U.S. Navy freedom of navigation operations on two consecutive days in the South China Sea this week has irked Chinese officials at a time they are seeking to ease trade tensions with the U.S. Read More
