Philippine Military Defends Possible Deployment of Additional US Missiles, Drones

Jeoffrey Maitem - : Feb 20, 2026 - : 3:21 pm

A senior military official defended the possible deployment of additional U.S. missile and unmanned systems in the country, saying the move is part of efforts to boost preparedness and maximize training with the Philippines’ treaty ally using modern equipment. Announced...

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Announced after the 12th Philippines–US Bilateral Strategic Dialogue this week, the US said it wanted to expand deployments of advanced missile systems and unmanned platforms in the Philippines is less about hardware than geography and what it signals about Washington’s long-term strategy in the region, analysts said.

In a statement released after Tuesday’s meeting, the US Embassy in Manila said both countries would “continue and work to increase deployments of US cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines, expand and modernise the Philippines’ civilian and military cyber defence capabilities and ability to detect and disrupt cyber threats”.

“It is the job of the military to be in a constant state of preparedness. Because countries do not decide to go to war; they just find themselves in war. You cannot make an excuse that you’re not prepared, so, we are prepared. We are constantly training. We constantly see to it that our people have the right mindset and are ready to rise to the occasion,” said Philippine Army Training Command Commander MGen. Michael Logico.

“The United States is a treaty ally. So, we are bound together and obligated by law to help each other because we have a mutual defense treaty with them. So, legally, we have an instrument that allows us to train together,” MGen. Logico added.

In 2024, the US deployed one Typhon unit – also known as the Mid-Range Capability – to Northern Luzon as part of joint military drills, and it has remained there since. Capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500km (1,550 miles), the Typhon can reach areas in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

Last year, the US Marines deployed the Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a mobile ground-based anti-ship missile launcher, to Batanes, the northernmost group of islands in the Philippines, located just 190 km from Taiwan, during the holding of annual Balikatan.

China strongly protested and repeatedly warned of “resolute countermeasures” with the deployment of Typhon and NMESIS.

Philippines / Armed-forces-of-the-philippines-afp / Mrc-missile-system / Marine-expeditionary-ship-interdiction-system-nmesis / China /

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