The Philippines will station new fighter jets and two frigates as it reopens the former US naval base in Subic Bay to military use in a further response to Chinese expansionism in the disputed South China Sea. Defence undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino told Reuters the Philippine military signed an agreement in May with the zone’s operator, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, to use parts of the installation under a renewable 15-year lease. It marks the first time the massive installation has functioned as a military base in 23 years.
US warships have called regularly at Subic Bay since 2000 but only to dock during exercises with the Philippine military or to use its commercial facilities for repairs and resupply.
Using Subic Bay would allow the Philippine air force and navy to respond more effectively to Chinese moves in the disputed South China Sea, security experts said. Subic Bay’s deep-water harbour lies on the western side of the main Philippine island of Luzon, opposite the South China Sea. “The value of Subic as a military base was proven by the Americans. Chinese defence planners know that,” said Rommel Banlaoi, a Philippine security expert.
Officials said once Subic Bay was a military base again the US navy could have much greater access to it under a year-old agreement that gives US troops broad use of local military facilities, although that deal is on ice after it was challenged in the Philippine supreme court.
Using Subic would be the latest Philippine military move to combat China’s maritime ambitions.Besides beefing up security co-operation with the United States, Japan and Vietnam, the military plans to spend $20bn over the next 13 years to modernise its armed forces, among the weakest in south-east Asia.
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