Will closer Philippine-South Korea military ties make China ‘insecure’?

The Philippines’ potential purchase of more fighter jets from South Korea and the two countries’ growing military collaboration could push Beijing to feel more “insecure” as tensions roil the contested South China Sea, according to analysts. Manila is considering buying an additional 12 units of the South Korean supersonic combat aircraft FA-50 Fighting Eagle Block 20, the Inquirer, a Philippine news outlet reported in January, citing defence department procurement data. The Fighting Eagle is a variant of the FA-50 with an improved capability for beyond-visual-range air-to-air missions. The potential 40 billion Philippine peso (US$690 million) deal was expected to be finalised by the middle of the year and would double Manila’s export-variant FA-50PH fleet, according to the report. The Philippine Air Force currently operates 12 units bought in the early 2010s. Manila is ramping up its modernisation efforts within its military, especially the air force, amid increasing tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea. The past year was marked by several confrontations in disputed waters, including collisions and the use of water cannons by the Chinese coastguard. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said on Wednesday it had carried out routine patrols for a second straight day in the South China Sea. It did not identify the area, but Tuesday’s PLA air patrol took place over the contested Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China. Last week, the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command said it had carried out combat readiness patrols near the shoal to strengthen its maritime and airspace control management in the disputed waters. This week’s patrols came after joint Philippine-US air force patrols over the South China Sea on Tuesday, in an area close to the exclusive economic zone claimed by Manila. The Philippines is one of the oldest US defence allies in the Asia-Pacific, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Manila as “ironclad” under their mutual defence treaty. In a phone call with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, last month, Rubio also condemned Beijing for its “dangerous and destabilising” actions in the South China Sea. The pledge was repeated by US President Donald Trump’s defence chief Pete Hegseth during an introductory phone call with Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the US’ Typhon missile system has been stationed in the northern Philippines since being brought in for a joint military exercise over April and May. Manila also reportedly plans to acquire its own Typhon system, a move criticised by Beijing as posing “a substantial threat to regional peace and security”. Tensions with China in the resource-rich waters have escalated since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr took office in 2022. Marcos has made the US alliance a cornerstone of his foreign policy, unlike his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte – who pivoted away from the US and was more open to diverse partnerships, including with Beijing. In October, Marcos signed into law the Self-Reliant Defence Posture (SRDP) Revitalisation Act, as part of efforts to revamp the Philippine defence industry in response to PLA activities in the South China Sea. The act, initiated by his father, Ferdinand Marcos Snr, aims to “bolster the country’s defence strategies through the strength of its own resources and capabilities”, according to the Philippine presidential office. Marcos said the law prioritised “research and development to enhance and update defence systems to meet unique requirements and stay ahead of evolving threats, particularly asymmetrical threats that traditional systems may effectively address”. Chester Cabalza, founding president of the International Development and Security Cooperation, a think tank in Manila, said the Philippines had a “soft spot” for South Korea’s defence industry as Koreans studied Marcos Snr’s SRDP programme when he was in power. “This defence relationship is personal and professional at the same time for the Philippines,” Cabalza said, noting how Manila had been able to “revitalise its new SRDP law after benchmarking from Korea’s advancement of defence technology and sales”. “Beijing will feel insecure with this special and increasing defence collaboration … as the two democratic countries speed up their military exchanges and support … each other amid the volatile regional security architecture,” he added. Joshua Bernard Espena, a lecturer in international relations at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, said the “primary reason” behind the planned purchase of the FA-50 was to “internally balance against systemic pressures of China’s multidomain threat to [Manila’s] territorial integrity” in the South China Sea. The Philippines would use the extra jets “not only for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions but also for air-to-air as well as air-to-ground or air-to-sea targets, Espena said. “FA-50s can serve anti-air warfare and anti-surface assignments. These functions are a break from the Philippine Air Force’s menial task of ISR and HADR [Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief] functions to support the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps’ roles in internal security operations,” Espena said. “Manila’s acquisition of [more] FA-50s … serves as a big break to test the mettle of the Air-Sea Battle concept against external threats. In this case, Manila considers the [FA-50] squadron instrumental in the future so long as the scenario is fighting decisive battles at sea.” The FA-50 supersonic light combat aircraft is manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The design is based on South Korea’s first supersonic advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, the T-50 Golden Eagle, developed by a collaboration between KAI and America’s Lockheed Martin. Like the Philippines, South Korea has also been a US treaty ally since the 1950s. The FA-50 fighters were described as “game changers” by the Philippine armed forces in 2017, when they played a crucial role in helping government forces retake Marawi city in the southern island of Mindanao after a five-month battle with Islamic State-linked militant groups. Akhil Kadidal, an aviation expert at global military and aerospace intelligence company Janes, said the Philippine Air Force had an “urgent requirement” for new combat aircraft, and the FA-50 was a cost-effective option. “Being a light attack aircraft, the FA-50PH has a lower acquisition cost than the multirole combat aircraft [that] Manila is considering for procurement under its Multi-Role Fighter project. At the same time, the FA-50PH also has capable systems found in more expensive aircraft,” Kadidal said. “The [Philippine Air Force] is already familiar with the aircraft, its capabilities, and sustainment. An acquisition of additional FA-50PHs indicates that [it] has confidence in the aircraft, and its potential cost-for-value.” Espena highlighted the South Korean Air Force’s “proven round-the-clock operational tempo” to deter the North Korean threat. “With geopolitical contingencies occurring globally, I suspect Southeast Asian defence spending will rise based on the available systemic options; Seoul fits rightly in its calculus and is willing to offer various packages from its defence industry complex,” Espena said. “Anything that allows the Philippines’ defence capability to get better will earn the ire of China, [which knows that Manila] will do what it can to convince others to join its side by making its geostrategic location more relevant than ever.”

Will closer Philippine-South Korea military ties make China ‘insecure’?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Growing military ties between the US treaty allies take on added significance as Manila clashes with Beijing in the South China Sea

Growing military ties between the US treaty allies take on added significance as Manila clashes with Beijing in the South China Sea