China Panic : U S Shoot Hundreds Of Rocket in the South China Sea The waters of the South China Sea could soon be heating up once more. This week, the South China Morning Post reported that the United States and the Philippines discussed the placement of an upgraded High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in the contested body of water to defend against China's militarization of its artificial islands in the area. The report, however, said Washington and Manila failed to reach a deal because the Philippines cannot afford the "expensive" HIMARS.
The report comes amid continuing uncertainty about the countries' alliance under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, as well as questions over whether Manila wishes to review the nations' 70-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty. Recently, the pair's defense chiefs reaffirmed their "enduring alliance" and agreed to increase the interoperability of their forces; at the same time, the United States also pledged to continue its support for the Philippine armed forces.
Earlier this week, the two countries also kicked off the Balikatan military exercises, which have featured new U.S. fighter jets, as well as greater participation from the Australian military and observers from Southeast Asia.
The discussion in question appears to have been limited to a U.S. push for the Philippines to purchase HIMARS units, yet it also opens the door to a possible break with U.S. policy. After all, any potential U.S. military deployment in the South China Sea — whether with HIMARS or something else — would go beyond the freedom of navigation operations the United States currently conducts in the area. By increasing its military presence, the United States would bolster the Philippines' maritime claims and perhaps deter China from making more inroads in the South China Sea — something that Washington's present operations in the waters are failing to do.
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