The Philippines and the United States signed an agreement in November 2024 to secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons the U.S. would provide to Manila.
Defense secretaries from the two countries signed the legally binding General Security of Military Information Agreement in Manila at a time when the longtime treaty Allies have boosted their defense and military engagements, including large-scale joint combat drills, largely in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s increasingly aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific.
The Department of National Defense in Manila said the agreement aims to ensure the security of classified military information that would be exchanged between the Philippines and the U.S.
It will “allow the Philippines access to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States,” the Philippine defense department said.
Two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press that such an agreement, similar to ones Washington has signed with other allied countries, would allow the U.S. to provide the Philippines with higher-level intelligence and more sophisticated weapons, including missile systems.
It would also provide the Philippine military access to U.S. satellite and drone surveillance systems with an assurance that such intelligence and details about sophisticated weapons would be kept highly secure to prevent possible leaks, the two Philippine officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive issue publicly.