The Marine Aviation Support Activity (MASA) 2024, an annual Philippine-US military exercise focused on mutual defense, strengthening relationships, and rehearsing emerging aviation concepts, concluded on June 21, 2024. MASA is one of the many military exercises that reflect the Philippines’ ongoing military modernization and cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners such as the US, Japan, and Australia.
Reflecting MASA’s combined and joint nature, the exercise featured the US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army and the Philippine Marine Corps, Air Force, and Naval Air Wing. Approximately 3,175 military personnel participated in the exercise, including 975 from the Philippines and 2,200 from US forces.
Activities included maritime domain awareness training events, subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), littoral zone reconnaissance activities (LZR), Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) defense training, and integrated command and control of airspace through the Multifunctional Air Operations Center. For the first time, US and Philippine commanders jointly led a strike from US Marine F-35B “Lightning II” fighter jets on targets floating off the coast of Western Luzon in the South China Sea. Philippine partners were given the authority to command and approve precision airstrikes while US troops provided artillery support.
The Philippines has increased military-to-military exchanges in the wake of China’s expansion of territorial claims in the South China Sea. Under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the Philippines and US help defend each other against external armed attack, and the Philippines is the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region. However, Philippines is concerned about the growing presence of Chinese maritime militia vessels across the South China Sea as it could be a prelude to occupation of Philippine maritime claim if left unchecked. During a meeting between Philippine and US government officials in April, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the United States' commitment to standing with the Philippines in maintaining a “free and open Indo-Pacific, and South China Sea.” As a result, MASA exercises were conducted in provinces with strategic locations in the South China Sea such as Northern Luzon.
The Philippines is seeking to modernize its military and prioritize the development of its naval forces. The country is the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific with roughly $40 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) each year to acquire defense articles and services. The Philippine defense market is largely contingent on the progress of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s modernization program that started in 2012.
In 2021, the US State Department authorized Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of AIM-9 air-to-air missiles for Philippine Air Force’s FA-50 multirole fighter jet, advanced F-16 fighter jets, and attack helicopters to the Philippines. Exercises between counterpart branches of the US and Philippine forces not only enhance military-to-military exchange but also expose the Philippine military to new doctrines and modern equipment.
Filipinos have a long history of service with the US military. 260,000 Filipinos served under US command in the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Philippine Scouts, and even guerrilla units during Japanese occupation. Currently, there are 590 US ACE (Aviation Combat Element) Marines, with 17 being of Filipino descent. More than four million Filipino Americans live in the United States, and almost 300,000 US citizens reside in the Philippines, including a large number of US military veterans. Additionally, Manila is home to the only Veterans Administration Regional Office outside of the United States, supporting US veterans and servicemembers in addition to Filipino World War II Veterans and their descendants.
The MASA 2024 exercise concluded with a communal “Boodle Fight” feast for US and Philippine servicemembers, where they had opportunities to share personal, cultural, and social exchanges and improve military-to-military friendships. “Boodle fight” or kamayan feast is a Philippine communal eating practice where food is placed on banana leaves along a table and consumed using bare hands. This feast is typically reserved for family or celebratory occasions, highlighting the close bonds that the Philippine and the US military forces have developed throughout the years.
Nissa Dotson is a Summer 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington DC and an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia studying Political Science and International Affairs.
Sam Tran is a Summer 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.A. in Political Science in May 2024.