The United States plans to deploy more high-tech missile systems to the Philippines to help deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies in February condemned what they called the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.”
Beijing has repeatedly expressed alarm over the installation in the northern Philippines of a U.S. mid-range missile system called the Typhon in 2024 and of an anti-ship missile launcher in 2025. The CCP has asked the Philippines to withdraw the missile launchers from its territory, but officials led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have rejected the demand.
U.S. and Philippine officials held annual talks on February 16 in Manila on broadening security, political and economic engagements and boosting collaboration with regional security allies.
The U.S. and the Philippines outlined in a joint statement on February 17 specific defense and security plans for this year, including joint military exercises, Washington’s support to help modernize the Philippine military and efforts “to increase deployments of U.S. cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines.”
The longtime allies “underscored their support for preserving freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and other lawful uses of the sea for all nations,” the statement said.
“Both sides condemned China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities in the South China Sea, recognizing their adverse effects on regional peace and stability and the economies of the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” it added.
Confrontations between CCP and Philippine coast guard forces have spiked in the disputed waters in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also are involved in the territorial standoffs.
Neither side elaborated on the planned missile deployments, but Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, who took part in February’s talks, said U.S. and Filipino defense officials discussed the possible deployment this year of “upgraded” types of U.S. missile launchers that the Philippines may eventually decide to buy.
“It’s a kind of system that’s really very sophisticated and will be deployed here in the hope that, down the road, we will be able to get our own,” Romualdez told The Associated Press.
The Typhon missile system that the U.S. Army deployed to the main northern Philippine region of Luzon in April 2024 and an anti-missile launcher called the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System that was deployed in April 2025 also to Luzon have remained in the Philippines, Romualdez said.
During joint drills, U.S. forces have exhibited the missile systems to batches of Filipino forces to familiarize them with the weapons’ capabilities and usage, military officials said. Romualdez said the U.S. missile deployments to the Philippines did not aim to antagonize any country.
“It’s purely for deterrence,” he said. “Every time the Chinese show any kind of aggression, it only strengthens our resolve to have these types.”