The Philippines wants to purchase more defense systems from Israel as it seeks to bolster its military readiness amid increasing tensions with China. The Southeast Asian nation has reportedly submitted a shopping list of weapons to Jerusalem, which includes different types of missiles and sensors. Israeli defense sources also said Manila wanted to procure advanced command-and-control systems and long-range radars to better monitor its territory. The Philippines is no stranger to Israeli systems, as it operates 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzers made by Israeli defense giant Elbit System ..read more

Twelve militants have been killed in the southern Philippines during a gun battle with security forces that left seven soldiers wounded, the army said in a statement. The firefight happened Monday in Maguindanao del Sur province on Mindanao island, a haven for multiple armed groups ranging from communist insurgents to Islamist militants. The Philippine Army said the leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters-Karialan Faction and his brother were killed along with 10 fighters. Seven soldiers were wounded. Soldiers seized 12 high-powered firearms, including five M16 rifles, said the arm ..read more

A Chinese drone was recently spotted hovering close to the Philippines ahead of an annual military exercise between Manila and the US. A local journalist, who was traversing the skies over the West Philippine Sea, was the first to notice the aerial object with a joint-wing design flying over the northwestern end of the South China Sea. According to reports, the description matches that of the Chinese-made WZ-7 drone, which is owned and operated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). GMA News reporter @raffytima was able to photograph what apparently is a Chinese WZ-7 high altitude reconnais ..read more

The Philippine Navy has test-fired an Israeli-made Spike non-line-of-sight missile from its newly acquired fast attack interdiction craft. A target was struck 20 kilometers (12 miles) away during the test, validating the missile’s precision strike capability, the navy said. The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems missile strikes a target 30 kilometers (18 miles) away, features advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors, and offers day and night operational capabilities. “Offering unparalleled accuracy and versatility, this new capability represents a leap forward in precision-guided munitions ..read more

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday the United States would not be given access to more Philippine military bases. Marcos’ remarks came days after a trilateral summit between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines in Washington where tensions over the disputed South China Sea — which Beijing claims almost entirely — were high on the agenda. The Philippines is a key focus of US efforts to strengthen regional alliances due to its proximity to the waterway and self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Manila expanded a 2014 agreement last year to give US military ac ..read more

A number of Chinese firms have been recruiting active and former members of the Philippine military for potential espionage, the Philippine information department has revealed. The department’s cybersecurity undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the companies are disguising themselves as American and European organizations to avert suspicion. They are offering part-time jobs to Filipinos linked to the military, mainly as “online analysts.” The information department said it discovered the online recruitment by these companies as early as December 2023. “There is a facility on the internet calle ..read more

The Philippines said Monday it had summoned a Chinese envoy over “aggressive actions” by the China Coast Guard and other vessels near a reef off the Southeast Asian country’s coast. Beijing and Manila have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and there have been repeated confrontations between their vessels near disputed reefs in recent months. The latest incident took place Saturday near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands during a regular Philippine mission to resupply Filipino troops garrisoned on the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded navy ship. The Phi ..read more

The US military will help build a new port facility on a Philippine island near Taiwan, according to a report by Taiwan News. The new facility in the northernmost Batanes province, less than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from southern Taiwan, is said to be for the rapid evacuation of Filipinos residing there in case of a Chinese invasion. More than 150,000 Filipinos are currently working in Taiwan, according to the Philippines’ migrant workers department. Additionally, concerns are growing that the US-backed military activities on the island facing Taiwan are meant to give Washington’s forces a ..read more

Elbit Systems has sent the first batch of Guarani 6×6 armored personnel carriers (APCs) to the Philippine Army. The vehicles are part of a $46-million deal signed in 2020 to deliver 28 Guaranis to a then-undisclosed country in the Asia Pacific. All five APCs made their first public appearance at a ceremony in Santa Lucia, Tarlac. The vehicles will be used by the force’s Armor Division, providing operational readiness for a “world-class, multi-mission-ready, and cross-domain capable armor force.” “Our goal is to establish a stronger armed force for a ‘newer Philippines,’” Philippine Army Comm ..read more

The Philippines now prohibits its military personnel from using the popular Chinese-owned mobile application TikTok due to cybersecurity risks. The move follows similar decisions made by Western countries, including Sweden, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands. Citing research conducted in the US, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the app has a listening capability that makes it a perfect tool for cyber espionage. “When you download it, you give certain permissions which include use of microphone, use of camera,” she explained. “So they hav ..read more