https://www.scmp.com/rss/523704/feed The latest news and top stories on the Institute for Regional Security. A Canberra-based independent not-for-profit Australian research institute and think tank, the Institute for Regional Security is dedicated to promoting peace, stability and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region. Its main areas of focus include policy, research advice, advocacy and fostering international dialogues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The United States has begun pulling missile-defence systems from South Korea to feed its war with Iran, prompting fresh questions in the Philippines about Washington’s military commitments to the Asia-Pacific. The transfer of Patriot batteries from the Korean peninsula, accompanied by reports that parts of a THAAD anti-missile system were also on the move, did not directly affect the US military presence in the Philippines. But the episode has forced a question that Manila would rather not have... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346226/us-missiles-leave-south-korea-philippines-asks-are-we-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346226/us-missiles-leave-south-korea-philippines-asks-are-we-next?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines cannot afford an aircraft carrier, could not sustain one if it had it and, according to most analysts, does not need one. What it needs is messier, cheaper and harder to photograph, they say: a web of missiles, patrol boats, frigates and surveillance assets designed not to project power, but to deny it. Two recent developments have made that choice harder to ignore. Last month, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr openly mused that an aircraft carrier with “accompanying... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines is stepping up efforts to protect undersea cables – the unseen backbone of digital communications – as a string of regional and global incidents has sharpened concerns that seabed infrastructure could be targeted for sabotage or espionage. Officials and analysts say the moves signal that so-called grey-zone activities – coercive actions that fall short of open conflict – beneath the sea are no longer going unnoticed. The concern is not only physical damage to submarine cables but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339336/philippines-ramps-protection-undersea-cables-amid-growing-grey-zone-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339336/philippines-ramps-protection-undersea-cables-amid-growing-grey-zone-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:08:00 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines is among Asian nations to be covered by a US$55 million maritime defence funding from the United States, but Manila is not expected to buy any significant game-changing security assets with its share. Analysts say while the funding signals Washington’s focus on pulling mid-sized states into its orbit to counter Beijing’s growing regional presence, the Philippines is likely to use its undisclosed allocation on radars, drones and coastguard purchases. US Secretary of State Marco... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327110/how-will-philippines-use-its-share-us55-million-maritime-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327110/how-will-philippines-use-its-share-us55-million-maritime-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 07:30:10 +0000