By Liz Lagniton | 2026-02-25

The United States plans to increase deployments of advanced missile and unmanned systems in the Philippines this year, deepening a military buildup that Beijing has repeatedly criticized as "destabilizing."

The commitment appeared in a joint statement issued February 16 after the 12th Philippines–United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Manila, where senior officials reaffirmed the countries' 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and pledged to "continue and work to increase deployments of US cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines."

Neither side specified what additional systems could be sent, but the announcement builds on a series of high-profile US deployments over the past two years.

In April 2024, the US Army deployed its Typhon missile system to northern Luzon. The land-based platform can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard Missile-6 interceptors, giving it a range of more than 1,600km.

This capability reportedly allows the system to potentially strike commercial and military targets on the Chinese mainland, a factor that has intensified Beijing's calls for its immediate removal.

Last year, US Marines deployed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a launcher of antiship missiles, to Batan Island in Batanes province, near the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan.

Both Typhon and NMESIS remain in the Philippines, according to Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez. US and Philippine defense officials have discussed the possible deployment of "upgraded" launchers that Manila could eventually acquire, he said.

The system being considered is a highly sophisticated platform that could be deployed to the Philippines with the longer-term aim of allowing Manila to eventually acquire its own version, he told the Associated Press.

'Purely for deterrence'

"It's purely for deterrence," said Romualdez, adding that the deployments were not intended to antagonize any country, the Associated Press reported.

The allies' largest annual military exercises, Balikatan, scheduled for April, could provide an opportunity for additional deployments.

Washington and Manila's joint statement reiterated that the Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks anywhere in the Pacific -- including the South China Sea -- against either country's aircraft, armed forces and public vessels, such as coast guard ships.

Both governments condemned what they described as China's "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities" in the disputed waters and underscored their support for freedom of navigation and overflight.

Heated confrontations at sea

Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have intensified in recent years in the disputed waters.

Manila has accused Beijing's coast guard and maritime militia of blocking maneuvers, using water cannons and ramming Philippine ships during resupply missions. China claims most of the South China Sea, even areas that fall within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone.

More than any other Southeast Asian littoral state, the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has openly challenged China's maritime claims and strengthened defense ties with Washington.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines welcomed the deployment plans, calling the US systems "a great stop gap [and] a great filler while awaiting our modernization program."

The move aligns with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.'s goal of advancing "credible deterrence" to support regional stability, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said, according to the Philippine Star.

Trinidad noted that the upcoming Balikatan exercises in April will allow Philippine troops to train with these modern missile systems in "a multi-domain environment," the Daily Tribune reported. The training emphasizes lawful use of the seas amid rising maritime tensions, he said.

Expanded US-Philippine cooperation

Beyond missile deployments, Washington and Manila agreed to expand joint exercises, accelerate security assistance and invest further in sites covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Washington has appropriated an additional $144 million in fiscal year 2026 for EDCA-related infrastructure.

The dialogue outlined plans to boost cyber defense cooperation and hold a fifth "2+2" meeting between foreign and defense ministers later this year in the United States.

The Philippines occupies a key position along the so-called "first island chain" stretching from Japan through Taiwan to northern Luzon. US access to sites in these areas would be strategically significant in any war in the Taiwan Strait and in efforts to counter China's debunked claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea.

Both the US and Philippine governments reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposition to the use of force against any state's territorial integrity.