The Philippines and the United States plan broader security engagements in 2026, including deployment of U.S. missiles and uncrewed systems to deter aggression in the South China Sea.
The U.S. also said it would invest an additional $144 million for infrastructure under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which grants U.S. forces access to nine sites across the Philippines for cooperative exercises, joint and combined military training, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.
Manila and Washington announced the plans in mid-February after officials met for the 12th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in the Philippines. In a joint statement, they also welcomed improved multilateral cooperation with like-minded partners, including Australia and Japan, to enhance regional security.
Bolstering deterrence in the first island chain — the series of archipelagos encompassing Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia — is a priority for the Philippines and the U.S., treaty allies since 1951. The joint statement condemned the Chinese Communist Party’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities in the South China Sea, recognizing their adverse effects on regional peace and stability and the economies of the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
The Philippines and the U.S. “committed to maintaining a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific to prevent conflict and to developing strong measures along with the deterrence to keep sea lanes open and not subject to arbitrary control by one country. Collective defense is critical to denying and deterring aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain.”
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a contention rejected by an international tribunal in 2016 in a case brought by the Philippines. China has ignored the ruling and its coast guard and maritime militia ships have rammed and fired water cannons at other nations’ government and civilian vessels operating lawfully within their respective exclusive economic zones.
The planned missile deployments build on earlier Philippines-U.S. engagements. The U.S. deployed the Mid-Range Capability missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines, as part of Exercise Salaknib 2024, and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System during Exercise Balikatan 2025 on the Philippines’ Batan Island.
“Any deployment of allied systems is intended to strengthen training, improve domain awareness, and support our collective defense posture. These efforts contribute to our mission of protecting Philippine sovereignty, securing our national territory, and maintaining peace and stability in the region,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in February 2026, according to the Philippine News Agency.
Manila and Washington also said they would:
- Enhance the Philippines’ capacity to monitor and respond to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and other illicit maritime activities.
- Expand and modernize the Philippines’ civilian and military cyber defenses.
- Modernize the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard to enhance collective defense and deterrence.
- Strengthen defense industry resilience to advance economic security and prosperity.
Additionally, the Philippines and the U.S., which have participated in more than 500 military exercises and exchanges since 2024, said they will increase the tempo of multilateral cooperation through maritime activities, exercises and security coordination.