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Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Map Shows Where Hegseth Wants US Military on China's Doorstep
U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth on Wednesday stressed the role of regional partners in the Pentagon's bid to counter an increasingly assertive China. "The Indo-Pacific is our priority theater, and China is our pacing threat,' he said while making the case for the defense budget requested by the Trump administration for the next fiscal year. Those words echoed his May 31 remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore, where he hailed examples of U.S. and allied military cooperation—including those illustrated on the Newsweek map below. China's rapid military buildup and competing territorial claims have strained ties with several neighbors, including U.S.-allied Philippines and Japan, both of which share defense treaties with Washington that could potentially draw American forces into a conflict. Chinese threats and increasing military activities around Taiwan, the island democracy Beijing claims as its territory, have further raised concerns. The tensions have driven some of China's neighbors to deepen military cooperation with the United States and one another. Newsweek contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment by email, but did not receive a response before publication time. In Singapore, Hegseth praised President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy while blaming former President Joe Biden for the U.S.-Mexico border crisis to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Yet, he added, "America First certainly does not mean America alone." Taking aim at what he called China's "destabilizing actions," Hegseth said the U.S. should be prepared for war, although deterring Chinese military aggression by raising its costs was preferable. "We're doing this here in the Indo-Pacific in three distinct ways: first, by improving our forward force posture. Second, by helping allies and partners strengthen their defense capabilities. And third, by rebuilding defense industrial bases," he told attendees. These efforts include deploying to the first island chain assets such as the U.S. Marine Corps' NMESIS high-precision anti-ship missile system to the Luzon Strait—a maritime choke point frequented by Chinese warships. The platform was delivered to the Philippines' far-northern Batanes province about 120 miles south of Taiwan. The deployment "enhanced our interoperability and improved our readiness on cutting-edge platforms, where we need them and when we need them," Hegseth said. The NMESIS missile system adds to the growing U.S. firepower in the Southeast Asian country. Last year, the U.S. deployed a U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability, also known as the Typhon missile launcher, to the Philippines ahead of joint military drills last spring. Philippine officials initially suggested the system would be removed after the drills, but later indicated it could remain indefinitely, irking officials in Beijing over the system's ability to reach China's eastern seaboard with weapons like as the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk cruise missile. A second Typhon system will be deployed to AUKUS partner Australia this summer, where the U.S. Army plans to conduct its first-ever live-fire test of the system on foreign soil, Hegseth said. This year, Washington and Canberra also reached an agreement for Australia to produce 155-millimeter artillery rounds and assemble guided multiple-launch rocket systems, boosting Australia's potential as a force multiplier in the event of a conflict. Washington's efforts to deepen cooperation with Japan, a key Pacific security treaty ally, are also advancing, with upgrades to the joint headquarters of the U.S. Forces Japan. The move will increase deterrence and mark "progress the alliance has made toward improving interoperability and strengthening Japan's capabilities," Hegseth said. The changes, which began in April, will integrate U.S. land, air, sea, space and cyber forces under a single headquarters. There are currently over 50,000 active-duty American military personnel in Japan—the most stationed in any foreign country. The U.S. is also ramping up cooperation with India, one of the four Quad nations and a country that continues to experience friction with China along its disputed border regions in the Himalayas. The Pentagon is working with the South Asian country—an increasingly capable arms manufacturer—to "co-produce equipment needed to deter aggression, and this includes negotiating an agreement to bring our industrial bases ever closer," Hegseth said. Following February talks in Washington between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders announced an "Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance" that will see the two countries co-develop and co-produce sea drones and counter-drone systems. Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Beijing's Tsinghua University, told Newsweek:"What I want to stress is we are on the path to better relations with regional countries—so we don't need the U.S. to teach us." "I think Secretary Hegseth is kind of trying to [come] between China and regional countries. I don't think this will be successful." The House Appropriations Committee advanced the Pentagon's request for a base defense budget of $892.6 billion, lower than the $1 trillion figure previously pledged by Trump. That, along with a $150 billion reconciliation package providing additional funds for priority programs such as shipbuilding and munitions, is expected to pass in the overall congressional vote. Related Articles China Feuds With US Ally Over Fighter Jet InterceptUS Ally Keeps American Missiles at Choke Point Near ChinaUS Aircraft Carrier Holds 'Warfighting' Drills on China's DoorstepChina Closer To Solving Hyperloop Train's Biggest Flaw 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
GMA Network
13-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
US defense official: US ready to defend PH despite growing China military
INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND, Hawaii — China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea, Taiwan and the East China Sea will continue because of its growing military capability and larger fleets of ships, but an attack on Taiwan may not be imminent as some fear, a United States defense official said. A collective security arrangement in Asia, similar to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Europe, the US official said, will deter any major act of aggression more than bilateral mutual defense treaties. China, for example, will have to worry about facing military forces from multiple countries because under such a security treaty, "an attack on one is an attack on all," the US official told a small group of journalists from Japan and the Philippines, including from GMA News Online, in an Asian security briefing here at the Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii. The US official also said the deployment of the Typhon mid-range missile system and the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or the NMESIS anti-ship missile, to the northern Philippines was a calculated move aimed at increasing the perceived lethal risks for China so the country will be deterred from launching an attack on Taiwan or in disputed waters like the South China Sea. Both missile systems involve the launching of missiles from highly mobile trucks in highly secretive areas which could surprise the Chinese military, which is reputed for traditionally having less flexibility in dealing with combat unknowns, said the US official. "China's approach to war fighting I call very mathematical. They want to note all the variables: who's involved, who's not involved. What bases are available, what bases are not available? What weapons are in play, what aren't in play?" said the official, who has had extensive combat experience and intelligence and agreed to speak on background. "The more things become unknowns, the harder it is for them to get to a high confidence decision that they've accounted for everything because the Chinese fight according to plans. They don't adapt and adjust particularly well," the official said. Photo by: Michaela del Callar He added, "Where we're trying to get to is a whole series of mobile diverse spaces that bring threats to the Chinese in ways that they have to identify them, they have to track movement, they have to find them in the jungle." "It's finding a couple of missile launchers in northern Luzon. It's a completely different problem and so, we think, in the process of doing that makes conflict less likely. And that's the critical piece," he said. "We think ultimately, the deployment of Typhon or NMESIS or Japanese hypersonics is a very positive thing towards deterrence and war avoidance." Asked if the US would deploy more such high-tech weapons to the Philippines, the official said such strategic decisions are mutually made by the two sides. "If the Philippines government agrees to it, I'd say the answer is yes, if they say no, thanks, then the answer will be, no." Aggression to continue China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety and has deployed much larger fleets of coast guard, navy and suspected maritime militia ships in the past years to assert that extensive claim against smaller claimant states, which are the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. An international arbitration decision in 2016 ruled to invalidate China's territorial claims, but Beijing did not participate in the proceedings initiated by the Philippines and ignored the decision. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has developed closer military and defense ties with the US to strengthen the country's external defense, including in the West Philippine Sea, that part of the South China Sea that is nearest to the archipelago. Chinese Coast Guard, Navy and suspected maritime militia ships have used high-pressure water cannons and dangerous maritime maneuvers to Philippine ships or vessels China has accused of entering its territorial waters illegally. Japan has a separate territorial dispute with China over a set of islands in the East China Sea. Continuing trend Such aggressive actions by China would continue, the US official said in response to a question. "It's going to be a continuation of all the trends we're currently seeing—pressure in various locations whether it's Taiwan or South China Sea or Senkakus," the official said. "All of that is going to continue in part because the capability is increasing. There's just more stuff, more coast guard ships, more maritime militia, more things to execute that with," he said. "The overall Chinese presence in the South China Sea," the official said, "has dramatically increased. It's facilitated by the operational use of their outposts in the Spratly Islands." US to 'rapidly' respond When asked how fast the US military can respond if the Philippines comes under an attack, the official said such a decision would be made more by officials in Washington than by the US military, which would execute them. "I think the best answer is we have made deliberate preparations to respond rapidly to a crisis and maintain the capability of doing that," the American official said. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a visit to Manila in March reaffirmed the Trump administration's "iron-clad" commitment to its obligations under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obliges the allies to help defend one another in case of an external attack. 'May not be imminent' Regional worries over the prospect of China attacking Taiwan, the island democracy it claims and has threatened to re-annex by force, have escalated after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The official, however, said such an attack may not be imminent and Russia's destructive invasion of Ukraine may not necessarily embolden China. "I think the likelihood of a deliberate military operation, a significant operation against Taiwan is pretty remote in the next couple of years," the US official said. "We get asked a lot and have thought a lot about the idea of did the war in Ukraine accelerate China's plans, and I don't think so. I think what it caused them to do was to soberly look, 'Hey, we're not ready. This is a really hard thing and if we get into it and we goof it up, it's hard to recover from that.'" China would likely avoid employing massive military force against Taiwan if it eventually decides to launch actions to retake control over the island across the Taiwan Strait, the US official asserted. "China doesn't want to use military force against Taiwan. It's clear from everything they've said and… that's a really bad idea for a lot of reasons, economically. Politically, reputationally, loss of life, it's not the preferred method. They want to achieve unification," he said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Ally Keeps American Missiles at Choke Point Near China
The Philippines, a mutual defense treaty ally of the United States, said that an American missile system capable of sinking warships will remain in the country for training purposes. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command for comment via email. The Chinese defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, is a ground-based launcher equipped with two missiles designed to target enemy ships. It is part of the U.S. Marine Corps' maritime strategy in the Pacific, where China is expanding its naval presence. The American anti-ship missile system was first deployed to the Philippines in late April for Exercise Balikatan 2025 and remained in the country for Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in late May. It participated in the drills from the Philippines' Batanes Islands in the Luzon Strait. The waterway located north of the Philippines serves as a key gateway through the First Island Chain for China's naval deployments into the broader Pacific. The island defense line, comprising Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, is designed to keep China's navy in check. Captain John Percie Alcos, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, said on Tuesday that the NMESIS remains in the country, where it will be used to train the Philippine Marine Corps. He declined to disclose the location of the U.S. missile system, citing operational security. The announcement comes after a pair of Chinese aircraft carriers, the CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong,transited near the Philippines for deployments beyond the First Island Chain. Without naming a specific country, the official said that the presence of the NMESIS, capable of striking targets over 115 miles away, serves as a deterrent to those who intend to conduct "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions" against the Philippines. The Philippines has territorial disputes with China over maritime features in the South China Sea, often resulting in confrontations and clashes between their naval forces. Washington has reaffirmed its security commitment to Manila under a 1951 mutual defense treaty. The NMESIS became the second U.S. missile system stationed in the Philippines following joint exercises. A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system has remained in the Southeast Asian country "indefinitely" after participating in a drill in April last year. Captain John Percie Alcos, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, at a press briefing on Tuesday: "The NMESIS will remain here in our country for as long as training opportunities are still there for us, for us to use that particular military equipment so that our Marines can better conduct combined operations with their counterparts." The U.S. Third Marine Division, in a press release in April: "The NMESIS provides [the U.S. Third Marine Littoral Regiment] with enhanced sea denial capability, deepens naval integration, and strengthens deterrence by extending the Joint Force's ability to target and engage from both land and sea. In the Philippines, the NMESIS will also aid in shaping defensive capabilities in accordance with the [the Armed Forces of the Philippines]'s coastal defense strategy." It remains to be seen whether the Philippines will consider acquiring the NMESIS to counter threats posed by the Chinese navy, the world's largest by hull count. The U.S. has been equipping its Pacific allies and partners with various types of anti-ship missile systems. Related Articles Video Shows Chinese 'Militia' Ship Near US Ally's Disputed TerritoryFootage Shows Chinese Ships Near US Ally's Disputed Island BaseVideo Shows US Ally Confronting China in Contested WatersUS Ally Sends Strong Warning to China 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Ally Keeps American Missiles at Choke Point Near China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Philippines, a mutual defense treaty ally of the United States, said that an American missile system capable of sinking warships will remain in the country for training purposes. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command for comment via email. The Chinese defense and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Why It Matters The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, is a ground-based launcher equipped with two missiles designed to target enemy ships. It is part of the U.S. Marine Corps' maritime strategy in the Pacific, where China is expanding its naval presence. The American anti-ship missile system was first deployed to the Philippines in late April for Exercise Balikatan 2025 and remained in the country for Exercise KAMANDAG 9 in late May. It participated in the drills from the Philippines' Batanes Islands in the Luzon Strait. The waterway located north of the Philippines serves as a key gateway through the First Island Chain for China's naval deployments into the broader Pacific. The island defense line, comprising Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, is designed to keep China's navy in check. What To Know Captain John Percie Alcos, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, said on Tuesday that the NMESIS remains in the country, where it will be used to train the Philippine Marine Corps. He declined to disclose the location of the U.S. missile system, citing operational security. The announcement comes after a pair of Chinese aircraft carriers, the CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong, transited near the Philippines for deployments beyond the First Island Chain. Without naming a specific country, the official said that the presence of the NMESIS, capable of striking targets over 115 miles away, serves as a deterrent to those who intend to conduct "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions" against the Philippines. The Philippines has territorial disputes with China over maritime features in the South China Sea, often resulting in confrontations and clashes between their naval forces. Washington has reaffirmed its security commitment to Manila under a 1951 mutual defense treaty. The NMESIS became the second U.S. missile system stationed in the Philippines following joint exercises. A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system has remained in the Southeast Asian country "indefinitely" after participating in a drill in April last year. U.S. Marines operate the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System in the Philippines on May 27, 2025. U.S. Marines operate the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System in the Philippines on May 27, 2025. Cpl. Malia Sparks/U.S. Marine Corps What People Are Saying Captain John Percie Alcos, spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, at a press briefing on Tuesday: "The NMESIS will remain here in our country for as long as training opportunities are still there for us, for us to use that particular military equipment so that our Marines can better conduct combined operations with their counterparts." The U.S. Third Marine Division, in a press release in April: "The NMESIS provides [the U.S. Third Marine Littoral Regiment] with enhanced sea denial capability, deepens naval integration, and strengthens deterrence by extending the Joint Force's ability to target and engage from both land and sea. In the Philippines, the NMESIS will also aid in shaping defensive capabilities in accordance with the [the Armed Forces of the Philippines]'s coastal defense strategy." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the Philippines will consider acquiring the NMESIS to counter threats posed by the Chinese navy, the world's largest by hull count. The U.S. has been equipping its Pacific allies and partners with various types of anti-ship missile systems.
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
PH Navy: US NMESIS anti-ship missiles to remain in country for more exercises
The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) of the United States will remain in the country where it will take part in more exercises, the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday. 'This is to confirm that the NMESIS is still within the country and it will continue to be used by the Philippine Marine Corps for training purposes,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said in a press briefing. 'As to its current location due to operational security, I cannot disclose that. But I can tell you that it's still inside the country,' he added. The NMESIS is a ground-based anti-ship missile system deployed by the United States Marine Corps' Marine Littoral Regiments for coastal defense and maritime security operations. The Naval Strike Missile it fires has a range of up to 300 kilometers. The missile system was initially deployed to the Philippines in April to be used for this year's Balikatan Exercise between US and Filipino forces. The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the USMC also trained with NMESIS during the Kamandag Exercise in May. Alcos said the initial plan to use the NMESIS for a live fire exercise in Kamandag did not proceed due to safety precautions. 'However, we simulated the firing. So we were able to make the most out of the training opportunity of having the NMESIS here,' Alcos said. 'And we were not only supposed to fire the NMESIS. It was supposed to be a combined fires exercise. Although the NMESIS was just simulated, we were able to fire the 105mm and 155mm howitzers,' he added. The NMESIS will be the second advanced missile system from the US to be present in Philippine territory. Last March, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed reports on the second deployment of the US Army's Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system in the country. Typhon can launch multipurpose missiles at targets that are thousands of kilometers away. —RF, GMA Integrated News
