Increased Rotational Presence of U.S. Military in the Philippines: A Tactical Maneuver by the Philippines
Increased Rotational Presence of U.S. Military in the Philippines: A Tactical Maneuver by the Philippines
Introduction
There has always been a strong relationship existing between the United States of America and the Philippines, with the U.S. being the closest defense partner of the Philippines. This is shown in the multiple defense treaties entered into by the two countries, two of which are the Mutual Defense Treaty which has been in force since August 27, 1952, and the Visiting Forces Agreement ratified by the Philippine Senate on May 27, 1999.
What do these two treaties entail? Basically, the Mutual Defense treaty is a mutual agreement between the two parties to defend each other from attack by external forces. The Visiting Forces agreement, an implementing agreement to the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, allows the resumption of bilateral military exercises between the two countries and provides for enhanced defense cooperation (VFA: FAQs, 2007).
In addition to the existence of these treaties, there has also been a recent movement toward an increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces in the Philippines. Official negotiations for this proposed agreement has started back in mid-August but there has still been no sign of a conclusion in negotiations. This proposed agreement provides for a larger U.S. military presence in the country by allowing a rotating U.S. troop force to return to the country and use the country’s military bases and facilities for regular exercises or in times of crisis. This provides for an increase in joint exercises and trainings between the two military forces, providing better training opportunities for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) (Barnes, 2013).
This proposal was mostly driven by both countries’ strategic needs. This framework agreement would allow for a greater presence of the U.S. not only in the Philippines, but in the whole Asian continent. This is in line with the Obama administration’s goal
Introduction
There has always been a strong relationship existing between the United States of America and the Philippines, with the U.S. being the closest defense partner of the Philippines. This is shown in the multiple defense treaties entered into by the two countries, two of which are the Mutual Defense Treaty which has been in force since August 27, 1952, and the Visiting Forces Agreement ratified by the Philippine Senate on May 27, 1999.
What do these two treaties entail? Basically, the Mutual Defense treaty is a mutual agreement between the two parties to defend each other from attack by external forces. The Visiting Forces agreement, an implementing agreement to the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, allows the resumption of bilateral military exercises between the two countries and provides for enhanced defense cooperation (VFA: FAQs, 2007).
In addition to the existence of these treaties, there has also been a recent movement toward an increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces in the Philippines. Official negotiations for this proposed agreement has started back in mid-August but there has still been no sign of a conclusion in negotiations. This proposed agreement provides for a larger U.S. military presence in the country by allowing a rotating U.S. troop force to return to the country and use the country’s military bases and facilities for regular exercises or in times of crisis. This provides for an increase in joint exercises and trainings between the two military forces, providing better training opportunities for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) (Barnes, 2013).
This proposal was mostly driven by both countries’ strategic needs. This framework agreement would allow for a greater presence of the U.S. not only in the Philippines, but in the whole Asian continent. This is in line with the Obama administration’s goal
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