As part of Manila’s defensive posture with the Support of Washington against Beijing’s aggressive actions, in its sovereign waters in the West Philippine Sea, the United States and the Philippines will develop new military facilities and enhance existing bases to support their growing military operation, as China continues to challenge the world-based order.
With these, new airports and seaports will be developed, across the archipelago, strategically located near the hotly contested waters of the West Philippine Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Amidst the tensions generated by China’s development of artificial islands in the South China Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ AFP, plan to rehabilitate the air and naval facilities in Subic Bay Freeport, in the central west part of the mainland island of Lozon. The Subic Bay, a deep-water harbor fifty miles northwest of Manila facing the South China Sea, was the service and logistic center for the U.S. Seventh Fleet until November 1992.
The new Philippine Air Force forward operating base is set to host the services for maritime patrol assets, fighter jets, Missile storage, and a large hangar, that can support the service on upcoming surveillance aircraft. Accordingly, this move will enable the AFP to quickly deploy its fighter planes and frigates to any contingency in the South China Sea, in the face of China’s maritime expansion in these disputed waters.
Another military airbase project funded by the United States in the Philippines, is the phase 2 of the redevelopment of Basa Airbase in Central Lozon.
The Pentagon awarded a $32 million contract to upgrade an airfield in the Philippines as part of a broader U.S. program to upgrade and improve Manila’s military bases.
Funded under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, a plan to counter China throughout the Indo-Pacific through the construction of infrastructure and investment into regional partners. Basa Air Base is set to receive a 625,000-square-foot parking apron capable of hosting up to 20 aircraft.
The decision to boost troops and expand infrastructure at Batanes Islands seems to be a part of that ambitious strategy. The Bashi Channel, which runs between Batanes and Taiwan, is a crucial choke point for ships traveling between the western Pacific and the disputed South China Sea and is likely to be used by China in case of hostilities.
The Philippine Navy opened its naval detachment on Mavulis Island in Batanes in October 2023. This area is also reportedly considered a potential location for the 2024 annual US-Philippines military exercises. In November 2023, the Philippines and the United States started joint patrols on Mavulis island, located 100 kilometers from Taiwan, and ended in the South China Sea.
The United States was also granted access to a tiny island portion of the Philippines in the Cagayan region as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Located just 250 miles or 400 kilometers south of Taiwan, Fuga Island could potentially be used to harass the southern flank in case of a Chinese naval attack on Taiwan.
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