By Focus | 2025-08-13

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos in India last week demonstrated Manila's continued commitment to increasing defense cooperation with its allies following a series of clashes with China in the contested South China Sea.

Marcos received a red-carpet welcome and honor guard at the Rashtrapati Bhavan upon his arrival August 4. Over the course of the five-day state visit, he held talks on security and trade with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and with Indian business leaders in Bangalore.

The two leaders on August 5 signed a Strategic Partnership agreement -- a raft of deals aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas including defense, security, trade, science and technology, and tourism, according to a statement from the Philippines government.

"These landmark agreements mark a significant step in expanding Philippine-Indian relations beyond traditional areas," the statement said.

"This relationship is anchored on the aspiration for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," Marcos said according to the statement.

The Philippines previously signed strategic partnerships with four other allies: Japan, Australia, South Korea and Vietnam.

'Shared values'

The landmark agreement between the Philippines and India comes as the allies navigate increasing tensions with China across the Asia-Pacific.

Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, a key global trade route, even after an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

China's claims have led to confrontations with the Philippines and other claimant states, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The latest defense agreement centers on bolstering cooperation between the militaries of the Philippines and India -- including their armies, air forces and navies.

"India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny," Modi told Marcos in a speech. "From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, we are united by shared values."

Marcos called the development a testament to the "remarkably rapid growth" of the Philippines and India's 75-year-old relationship.

In a statement, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año characterized the visit as a "milestone," underscoring the "shared commitment to regional stability, economic resilience and a rules-based international order" between the two nations, according to The Philippine Star on August 12.

The visit highlights the Philippines' determination to collaborate with similar partners to protect peace and advance prosperity within the Indo-Pacific, Año added.

South China Sea defense

The visit coincided with the first-ever Maritime Cooperative Activity between the Philippine and Indian navies from August 3 to 4. The two-day operation, which involved Indian warships patrolling alongside Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, was designed to enhance interoperability and maritime domain awareness.

Such an alliance strengthens the Philippines' ability to protect its sovereignty and jurisdiction in the region, said Año.

He expressed hope for "expanded naval engagements, joint training, technology exchanges and collaboration" in areas like cybersecurity, disaster response, and undersea infrastructure, as quoted by The Philippine Star.

The Philippines has staged naval patrols in the disputed waters with the United States and other strategic allies including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and France to promote freedom of navigation and strengthen deterrence against China.

Beijing accused Manila of "drawing in external countries to stir up trouble" in the South China Sea.

Military modernization

Marcos' visit follows the Philippines' acquisition of India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system under a $375 million deal signed in January 2022. Deliveries began in April 2024. A second batch was delivered in April 2025.

The acquisition was part of the Philippine navy's Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile Acquisition Project.

The Philippine army also wants the BrahMos for its Land-Based Missile System Acquisition Project, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

Marcos confirmed Manila is planning to purchase additional supersonic missiles from India.

"The Philippines is in the midst of modernization of our military, and so we are looking to see what's most suitable for our defensive needs," he told Indian news website Firstpost on August 6.

"We are not gearing up for war," he said. "We are simply reacting to the challenges that we are facing."

Highlighting the BrahMos project, Marcos said he and Modi "expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines' ongoing defense modernization and expanding capabilities and footprint of India's indigenous defense industry as a partner in this undertaking."

Ahead of annual US-Philippine military exercises last year, the US Army deployed its Typhon missile launchers at an undisclosed location in Northern Luzon.

Their deployment has "escalated tensions in the region," Beijing said in demanding their withdrawal from the region.