As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

Despite increased drills between the two allies, there are concerns that Washington’s aversion to conflict could weaken its commitment

While the allies are moving towards more frequent planning for maritime security cooperation and deterrence, there are still questions about Washington’s long-term commitment towards the security of the Philippines and the broader region, according to analysts.

At an annual meeting to strengthen security engagement in Manila on Saturday, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Antonio Nafarrete reaffirmed their commitment to the mutual defence treaty signed in 1951 and signed a memorandum to map out the next phase of cooperation.

While Paparo and Nafarrete did not disclose details, US Pacific Command said the plans included expanding on large-scale military exercises and specialist exchanges.

In recent years, the US and the Philippines have taken part in joint and multilateral military drills with partners such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand, including in contested waters near the Southeast Asian country.