Philippines, U.S. to share military intelligence to boost interoperability in Indo-Pacific
Reuters
The Philippines and the United States signed a military intelligence-sharing agreement in a further deepening of defense ties between allies facing common security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
Philippine National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement in mid-November 2024 at Manila’s military headquarters, where they also broke ground on a combined coordination center to facilitate collaboration. The General Security of Military Information Agreement allows the countries to share classified military information securely.
“Not only will this allow the Philippines access to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States, it will also open opportunities to pursue similar agreements with like-minded nations,” Philippine Defense Ministry spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.
Security engagements between the Philippines and the U.S. have deepened in recent years as the nations seek to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) aggressive activities in the South China Sea and around self-governed Taiwan.
Manila and Washington have a mutual defense treaty dating to 1951, which can be invoked if either nation comes under attack, including in the South China Sea.
“I want to start by underscoring our ironclad commitment to the Philippines,” Austin said during the groundbreaking for the coordination center, which he said will enable real-time information sharing and “be a place where our forces can work side by side to respond to regional challenges.”
The Philippines is among several nations facing increasing PRC aggression in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce. The PRC claims almost all of the waterway as its territory, despite an international tribunal’s 2016 ruling that Beijing’s claims have no legal basis.
The PRC has rejected the ruling, leading to a series of sea and air confrontations that have turned the South China Sea into a potential flashpoint.
“The United States’ presence in the Indo-Pacific region is essential for maintaining peace and stability in this region,” Teodoro said.
