While the US presence serves as a deterrent, experts warn the Philippines risks becoming a target should tensions with China rise
The United States is deepening its military presence in the Philippines with a planned upgrade to a naval base in Palawan, a strategically vital island facing the South China Sea that already hosts American-funded boat hubs and airstrips.
While some observers view the growing American presence as a pragmatic move to enhance the Philippines’ defence capabilities, others caution that the strategy risks creating a precarious dependency under a transactional US administration and leaves Manila increasingly exposed should tensions in the region escalate.
The latest move is a US$975,000 contract awarded last month to New Mexico-based Ace Builders to develop new facilities at the Naval Detachment Oyster Bay. According to the United States Naval Institute, the “design-build” project would support small boats and unmanned surface vessels (USV), boosting the Philippine Navy’s operational resilience in contested waters.
The project is expected to enhance the Philippine Navy’s sustainment capabilities amid ongoing operational challenges in the West Philippine Sea, Manila’s name for South China Sea waters that lie within its exclusive economic zone.
