American special operations forces are ready to step up warfighting-readiness exercises in the Philippines and other countries in Asia. According to a U.S. military official, this push aims to strengthen a security alliance and help deter a major conflict in the region.
Inside the Indo-Pacific Strategy Pivot
Adm. Frank Bradley, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, is in Manila after a trip to South Korea. He will then head to Japan for talks with military officials. Bradley’s visit is part of recent efforts by American military top brass to reassure key Asian allies of Washington’s commitment to the region given the U.S. preoccupation with the war in Iran.
Based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Bradley’s command has about 80,000 personnel and undertakes the U.S. military’s most sensitive and dangerous covert operations. The majority of his forces are deployed in more than 80 countries worldwide, Bradley said. During his time in Manila, Bradley talked with his Filipino counterparts regarding the Philippine military’s ongoing modernization push, efforts to ramp up joint combat drills alongside the U.S. and other partners, and the expansion of security partnerships aimed at pushing back against China’s increasingly aggressive moves in the South China Sea.
For decades, China and smaller rival claimant states—including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan—have been locked in tense territorial standoffs in the disputed waters. However, confrontations have particularly flared between Chinese and Philippine forces. Washington has repeatedly emphasized its duty to step in and protect the Philippines—its longest-standing Asian treaty partner—should Filipino troops face any military aggression.
The Deterrent Calculus in Batanes and Beyond
During a visit to Manila last year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially revealed a proposal to organize combined U.S. and Philippine special operations training exercises within the Batanes island group.
Situated across a maritime boundary from Taiwan, this northernmost island group of the Philippines sits near the self-governing territory that Beijing views as its own territory and has vowed to absorb, using military force if necessary. U.S. Special Forces commandos participate in annual large-scale combat drills alongside Filipino forces. Over recent years, these exercises have drawn in additional partners and friendly nations like Japan, Australia, Canada, and France, centering heavily on safeguarding the Philippines’ maritime territory in the South China Sea. Smaller warfighting exercises also take place with Filipino counterparts in western Philippine provinces facing the South China Sea and in the province of Batanes.
While Bradley did not provide details on how many U.S. commandos were involved or what types of maneuvers were being carried out, he said the exercises were continuing and could possibly expand based upon the sovereign needs of the Philippines.
“The best way to deter conflict is by being able to demonstrate convincingly to any adversary who may want to start a conflict that they won’t be able to win it,” Adm. Frank Bradley told the Associated Press in Manila.
“Where we have strong alliance structures … conflict has not come to it. Together, we are stronger, and together, we can prevent those conflicts from coming to us.”
Mapping the Security Architecture
To understand how these alliances interact across the theater, it helps to examine the primary defense relationships and focal points currently shaping U.S. strategy in the region.
| Country / Entity | Strategic Role | Key Operational Focus |
|---|---|---|
| The Philippines | Oldest treaty ally in Asia | Territorial defense in the South China Sea; modernization; Batanes training. |
| United States | Security Partner | Special operations readiness and allied interoperability. |
| Japan, Australia, Canada, France | Allies and friendly nations | Participation in large-scale joint combat drills. |
| Taiwan | Self-ruled island | Geographic neighbor to Batanes; target of Chinese annexation threats. |
As Adm. Bradley prepares for his next stop in Tokyo, the message to allies and adversaries alike remains that a cohesive alliance of countries, which each invest in their defense and regularly stage joint combat-readiness drills to brace for contingencies, is the best deterrent against a major conflict.
