Vol. VII, No. 7 - April 15, 2025
The US is accelerating its military buildup in the Asia Pacific region, using the Philippines as a key staging ground in its strategy to encircle and provoke China. Behind the rhetoric of routine “defense cooperation” under the Balikatan war games lies a clear agenda: reassert US dominance in the region through increased military presence and the forward deployment of war materiel.
In March, it was announced that the U.S. 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) will debut as the Littoral Rotational Force-Luzon (LRF-Luzon) during Balikatan 2025. As with other US units deployed in the country, the supposed “rotational” nature of their stay masks what is effectively a permanent presence—one that violates Philippine sovereignty. Balikatan 2025 involves around 14,000 US and Filipino troops, with added participation from the Australian Defence Force and, for the first time, the Japan Self-Defense Force. Sixteen other countries, including Canada, India, Germany, and Vietnam, are expected to join the AFP-hosted international observer program, reflecting the broadening scope of US-led military manuevers in the region.
The Balikatan 2025 will also see the deployment of NMESIS (Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System) and unmanned surface drones for US-led patrols. NMESIS is central to the US Marine Corps (USMC) reorientation toward operations in the Western Pacific. It provides Marine Littoral Regiments with the capability to deny access to key coastal areas and strategic chokepoints. This land-based, remote-controlled, and highly mobile system can launch cruise missiles with a range of up to 180 kilometers, making it ideal for use in contested maritime zones close to China’s periphery.
The US had earlier announced the deployment of another battery of the Army’s Typhon missile system, in addition to the one already stationed in northern Philippines. The Typhon system—also called the Strategic Mid-Range Fires System—is capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 missiles, with a strike range between 320 and 1,500 kilometers.
Further reinforcing this military buildup, on April 1, 2025, the US State Department approved a proposed $5.58 billion Foreign Military Sale to the Philippines. The deal includes twenty F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets along with associated weapons, equipment, and support systems.
Marcos Jr.’s collusion with his US imperialist masters is nothing short of unconscionable in the face of widespread poverty, joblessness, and landlessness gripping the Filipino masses. While millions go hungry and lack access to basic services, his regime welcomes US troops with open arms—resources that are not only meant for war preparation against China but are actively being used to terrorize the Filipino masses in the countryside. The same US-led military training and weapons provided to the AFP are deployed against farmers, indigenous communities, and activists fighting for land, justice, and self-determination. This has led to countless violations of international humanitarian law, including bombings of civilian communities, extrajudicial killings, and forced evacuations—crimes committed in the name of “peace and order,” but driven by the US-Marcos war agenda.
It is in the best interest of the Filipino people to stand firmly against the US military buildup and reject any and all attempts to use the country’s legitimate maritime disputes with China as a pretext for deeper US military intervention. These disputes must be resolved through peaceful, diplomatic means—not by turning the Philippines into a pawn in an imperialist power struggle.