By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

THE US has deployed an anti-ship missile system to the Philippines ahead of their annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) joint military exercises, a Philippine military official said on Tuesday.

“The NMESIS (Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System… is already in the country,” Brigadier General Michael G. Logico, assistant exercise director for this year’s Balikatan exercises, told a news briefing. “I will not say where, but… it’s going to be part of the exercises.”

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. would observe the integrated air and missile defense exercises to be held in Zambales province along the country’s western seaboard, he added. “He will be in a secure and classified location.”

The anti-ship missile system is the second US missile system deployed by Washington to the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia.

US Defense Secretary Peter Brian Hegseth in late March vowed to help arm the Philippines with deterrence capabilities by deploying advanced weaponry, such as the NMESIS and unmanned sea vessels.

This year’s Balikatan drills will feature full-scale command-and-control exercises, maritime drills and live-fire exercises to simulate counter-landing operations, the AFP said in a statement.

Nineteen countries have been invited to observe the joint drills including Canada, Germany and the UK, which have confirmed participation, it added.

The Philippine military will be able to test all their military assets for this year’s drills, including its brand-new naval warship and artillery systems, Mr. Logico said. “We’re utilizing all our acquired assets from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization.”

The Philippines is modernizing its military arsenal and deepening security ties with other nations as it seeks to counter China’s military might in the region, buying warships from South Korea and a missile system from India.

Washington’s mid-range Typhon missile system will also be used for this year’s drills, Mr. Logico said. “It was used in the previous exercise and it will be used for this year as well.”

The intermediate-range missile system can launch missiles as far as 1,600 kilometers, which could reach the Chinese mainland. It was flown to the Philippines in April last year and has since drawn sharp criticism from Beijing.

About 14,000 troops from the Philippine and US militaries will stage their largest annual war games on April 21 to May 9, conducting exercises near regional flashpoints including Batanes province near Taiwan and the South China Sea, according to a presentation by the Philippine military.

“These are not random locations; these are purposive locations,” Mr. Logico said, adding that the combat training venues respond to “broader security concerns.”

“The overall intent here is that the exercises by themselves can also help in resisting influence operations from other nations,” he said. “When we plan out our exercises, we are agnostic to whatever reactions other countries may have to the exercise.”

Meanwhile, delegates from the US Congress met with the Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. on Monday, during which they reaffirmed Philippine-US security ties and pledged to expand military cooperation across all domains.

In a statement late Monday, the Philippine Defense department said it held talks with US Senator John Peter Rickets, chief of the Senate foreign relations committee, and California Rep. Kenneth S. Calvert, head of the House of Representatives defense appropriations subcommittee.

“The meeting underscored the enduring and evolving defense alliance between the Philippines and the United States, anchored on shared democratic values and a mutual commitment to promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” the agency said.

THE Philippine Navy on Tuesday said several sea drones recovered in the country’s waters were likely deployed by China and could have been used for preparations for underwater warfare.

Three of the five sea drones recovered in Philippine waters in the past two years had a “50% to 80%” likelihood of being deployed by the Chinese government, Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent T. Trinidad told a news briefing.

The suspected Chinese sea drones were recovered with water depth, temperature, salinity and underwater sound detection data that could be processed, stored and transmitted to land stations, motherships or other drones via satellite communication, he added.

The Philippine Navy analyzed the drones with the help of allied, “like-minded” nations, Mr. Trinidad said, without disclosing which countries had helped with the analysis.

“It’s very clear that these are used for mapping out the underwater terrain, collecting information and document data,” he said. “All of these are used across different fields, including underwater warfare.”

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The Chinese government deployed its so-called Blue Ocean Information Network from 2016 to 2019, allowing Beijing to monitor the South China Sea, according to a presentation by the Philippine Navy.

“This Blue Ocean Information Network is used for scientific, economic and commercial research purposes, but this will have security implications considering the dual-use nature of the information that… allows China to monitor the maritime environment through advanced information technology,” Mr. Trinidad said.

He added that the suspected Chinese sea drones used components made in China. “Some of the components had markings from China, others had defaced markings to probably prevent reverse engineering or to hide the identity of the source.”

The sea drones present a national security threat because they could have mapped out Philippine waters, he added.

“In today’s generation of warfare, information is key; he who holds information will have an advantage,” Mr. Trinidad said.

“Any potential adversary who would like to harm our country would need to know the information not only on land and on air but more importantly, since we are an archipelago, underwater information,” he added.

He said the Philippine military is coordinating with other government agencies to determine “appropriate action.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio