U.S. Sends Warplanes To The Philippines

US and Philippine Marines simulate an amphibious landing during a joint drill at the beach in San Antonio, Zambales province on October 23, 2011. Press TV

U.S. Sends F/A-18 Warplanes To Philippine Military Drills -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Washington is this week deploying a dozen F/A-18 fighters to the Philippines, the first time it has sent so many of the aircraft there, to take part in annual military drills with a close security ally amid rising tension in the Asia-Pacific region.

The presence of the warplanes is not connected to tensions on the Korean peninsula, a Philippine army spokesman said.

"These exercises were planned more than a year ago, well ahead of what is now happening in the region," Major Emmanuel Garcia said.

The United States plans to send a missile defense system to protect Pacific island Guam, where it has a large military base, after North Korea threatened to launch nuclear attacks on the North American mainland over disagreements on its atomic program.

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My Comment: Everyone is saying that this exercise is not in anyway connected with the tensions on the Korean peninsula .... of course .... no one in the region is believing that.

Philippines Wants U.S. Spy Planes Deployed In The South China Sea

Philippine President Benigno Aquino (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Philippines Looks To US Spy Planes To Contain Chinese Aggression -- The Telegraph

The Philippines is prepared to risk the rath of China by requesting US spy plane intelligence on Chinese movements in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The two countries only recently stepped back from a months-long standoff at the Scarborough Shoal, a horseshoe shaped reef near the Philippines.

While the US is officially neutral in the dispute, it has offered to boost the Philippines' decrepit military forces.

"We might be requesting overflights on that," President Benigno Aquino said. "We don't have aircraft with those capabilities."

There was no immediate comment from Washington.

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More News On The Philippines Requesting US Spy Flights To Gather Intelligence On Chinese Naval Movements

Exclusive: Philippines may ask for U.S. spy planes over South China Sea -- Reuters
Exclusive: Philippines may ask for US spy planes over S.China Sea -- Swiss Info
Aquino wants US spy planes over West Philippine Sea -- Inquirer
Philippines wants U.S. spy plane to be deployed in South China Sea -- Asahi Shimbun

The Growing Philippine Role In America's Aisan Strategy

Philippines Role May Expand as U.S. Adjusts Asia Strategy -- New York Times

FORT MAGSAYSAY, the Philippines — The squad from the United States Army’s 196th Infantry Brigade was moving quietly through the hills of Luzon Island when the staccato bursts of machine gun fire sent them into action.

About a dozen soldiers fired into the surrounding mountains, while a small contingent broke away to make a direct assault on the hidden gunmen. After a brief, intense gun battle, the squad cleared the area.

The firefight was part of joint military exercises whose message, at least in part, appeared to be clear despite proclamations to the contrary. The exercises included mock beach invasions along coastlines facing China, whose military buildup and territorial claims in the South China Sea have alarmed some of its neighbors and jumpstarted the United States’ military “pivot” to the region.

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Update: U.S.-Philippine Leaders to Discuss Alliance Future -- Defpro

My Comment: The U.S. and the Philippines have a long history .... I expect this relationship to continue as China seeks to assert their claims to areas that the Philippines have always traditionally assumed was theirs.

China Wary As The U.S. And The Philippines Conduct War Games Near Disputed Waters

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China Wary As US, Philippines Stage War Games -- MSNBC/Reuters

ULUGAN BAY, Philippines - Hundreds of American and Philippine troops waded ashore on Wednesday in a mock assault to retake a small island in energy-rich waters disputed with China, a drill Beijing had said would raise the risk of armed conflict.

The exercises, part of annual U.S.-Philippine war games on the western island of Palawan, coincide with another standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoal in a different part of the South China Sea.

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More News On China Concerns Over U.S. - Philippine War Exercises

US and Philippines engage in war games -- The Telegraph
US, Philippines in war games near disputed waters -- Asia One
US, PH in war games near disputed waters -- Inquirer/AFP
'Balikatan' war games underscore U.S. military focus on Asia -- Matthew Fisher, Postmedia News

Philippines-US War Games Begin Amid China Tensions And Protests In Manilla

A protester destroys the US embassy sign during a demonstration against a joint Philippine-US military exercise in Manila. [Reuters]

Filipino Students Attack US Embassy To Protest War Games Near South China Sea -- Daily Mail

Left-wing protesters in the Philippines have splattered paint on the seal of the US Embassy to demand a pullout of American troops taking part in annual war games.

About 70 student activists took police and embassy guards by surprise early Monday when they threw blue-and-red paint at the seaside mission's main gate and scrawled 'US troops out now.'

They also chipped away letters from the bronze signage and burned a mock American flag.

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More News On The U.S. - Philippine War Games

War With China Ruled Out -- MB.com
Philippine president: No war with China over shoal -- FOX News/AP
Philippines-US war games begin amid China tensions -- BBC
Philippines hails start of US war games -- AFP
Philippines-US war games begin in South China Sea -- Australia Network News
Philippines Begin Military Exercise US as Standoff With China Continues -- Voice of America
Students to continue their protest against war games -- Gulf News

U.S. To Arm Philippines Amid China Concerns

PENTAGON MEETING - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates meets with Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario at the Pentagon, June 23, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

US Ready To Arm Philippines Amid China Tension -- Yahoo News/AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States said it was ready to provide hardware to modernize the military of the Philippines, which vowed to "stand up to any aggressive action" amid rising tension at sea with China.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, on a visit to Washington, said the Philippines hoped to lease equipment to upgrade its aged fleet and called for the allies to revamp their relationship in light of the friction with China.

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My Comment: The Philippines have been more focused on internal strife (the Muslim rebellion in the south) than on external threats and tensions. But with China becoming increasingly aggressive in asserting its naval and land claims in a territory that the Philippines has traditionally regarded as their own .... I expect this focus will now change.