United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin finally confirmed that American soldiers are deployed in the Philippines under a unit called ‘Task Force Ayungin,’ embedded within the Philippine military’s Western Command (WESCOM).
Although the specific roles of the U.S. troops remain classified, their presence is linked to security operations in disputed parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
This is the first time since the two American military bases shut down in 1992 that a top White House official openly admitted the steady presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines.
“Our presence here is critical for our alliance with the Philippines and for regional peace and stability,” Austin stated in a post on X.
WPS defense analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Ray Powell, told the Manila Standard that this task force was previously unknown before Austin’s revelation.
“My impression is that it’s not new, but newly public,” Powell said on Wednesday.
“Most likely they want to communicate that the US-PHL alliance is active and engaged,” Powell, who is the program head of Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, further said.
During his visit to Palawan province, which faces the disputed atolls and reefs of the WPS, Austin met with U.S. service members, reminding them about the significance of the U.S.-Philippines alliance for regional stability.
Austin also toured key military sites, including the Antonio Bautista Airbase, one of the nine identified Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the Philippines.
The name “Ayungin” refers to a shallow area in the WPS, where the BRP Sierra Madre is marooned, serving as an outpost of the Philippine Navy.
This area has been the site of increasingly hostile confrontations between Philippine and Chinese maritime forces over the past few months.
During a joint press briefing with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., the U.S. official announced that the Philippines will receive more unmanned surveillance platforms from the U.S. through its $500 million Foreign Military Financing (FMF).
“I just watched the Philippine Navy demonstrate the capabilities of a T-12 unmanned surface vessel (USV). A T-12 is one of several unmanned capabilities funded and delivered this year through the US security assistance,” Austin told reporters at WESCOM’s headquarters in Puerto Princesa City.
“We expect to see many more platforms like this delivered with the $500 million in FMF that I announced during my visit in July, to help ensure that the Philippines has the capabilities and means to defend its rights and its sovereignty throughout its exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” he added.
However, the U.S. defense chief said the T-12 sea drones are only one of several new capabilities their longtime ally could soon receive.
“Certainly, the Secretary (Teodoro) has identified what his priorities are, and we will work with them to fill those priorities. But we want to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to help him increase his domain awareness, his ability to protect the sovereign territory, and its interests, Austin emphasized.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “US Defense chief admits American soldiers embedded in Task Force Ayungin.”
