Not long ago, the Philippine Navy was considered one of the worst in Southeast Asia. Decades of severe underfunding, institutional neglect, and a predilection with internal security had left it far behind its neighbours.
Today, it has become one of the region’s fastest growing.
Backed by US funding and South Korean shipbuilding, the Philippine Navy has acquired a small yet modern fleet of guided missile frigates and offshore patrol vessels to anchor its territorial defence strategy.
The introduction of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defence Concept in 2024 – a blueprint for extending the Philippines’ defensive depth and projecting force past its littorals – framed this expansion mainly as an antidote to maritime incursions. However, recent pronouncements from the Department of National Defence seem to have expanded this initial vision. More than just achieving a credible deterrent capability in the South China Sea, Manila is now looking to develop an “expeditionary navy.”
What exactly is an “expeditionary navy?”
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. mentioned the term at least thrice in the past two months, most notably, in his remarks for several maritime forums throughout September. Behind it was a simple underlying logic: the Navy must be able to protect Filipino seafarers and vessels in the high seas and secure the country’s maritime resources.
Vincent Kyle Parada/The Interpreter, The Philippines is looking to develop an “expeditionary navy”
