U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III on November 19 in his visit to the Philippines has revealed the existence of a military unit of American troops stationed in the Philippines, called U.S. Task Force Ayungin.

This revelation highlights the growing defense cooperation between the two allies as tensions in the West Philippine Sea continue to rise, as China insists on sovereignty over almost the whole of South China Sea.

The Philippines maintains a presence at Ayungin Shoal — known internationally as the Second Thomas Shoal — through the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded World War II-era warship serving as a military outpost.

Located in the West Philippine Sea — referring to the maritime areas along the western side of the Philippine archipelago, which are within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone — the shoal remains a flashpoint in the ongoing maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing.

In recent months, the Philippine Navy has conducted rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions to support troops stationed on the shoal. However, China’s Coast Guard has repeatedly harassed Philippine ships during these missions, prompting the U.S. to condemn Beijing’s actions.

Earlier, Washington offered to assist the Philippines with RoRe missions, but Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. reaffirmed that the Philippines intends to carry out these operations using its own resources.

Austin’s Palawan visit

During his November 19 visit to Palawan, Austin publicly acknowledged the existence of U.S. Task Force Ayungin.

He met with American service members from the task force at the Command and Control Fusion Center and commended their efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Philippines alliance.

“I visited the Command and Control Fusion Center in Palawan today. I also met with some American service members deployed to U.S. Task Force Ayungin, and I thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the American people and our alliances and partnerships in this region,” Austin said in a post on X.

Although Austin disclosed the task force, he did not provide further details about its composition and activities. As of this writing, neither the Philippine Department of National Defense nor the AFP has issued a statement regarding its presence.

While the composition remains unclear, the task force appears to operate under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which allows rotational U.S. troop deployments in the Philippines, training Filipino forces, and the prepositioning of military equipment at select military sites in the country.

Austin and his counterpart, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., visited the Antonio Bautista Air Base, one of nine EDCA sites in the country, and the AFP’s Western Command in Puerto Princesa City as part of his two-day trip to the Philippines. During the visit, they conducted capability demonstrations, discussed operational planning, and held a press conference.

The two defense leaders emphasized the need for tighter coordination to counter harassment from Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.

“Specifically, they highlighted the need for deeper coordination to address challenges in the South China Sea, where lawful operations by the Philippines have encountered repeated harassment by the People’s Republic of China,” the two defense officials said in a joint statement.

Reaffirming the U.S.’s commitment to the Philippines, Austin emphasized that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft — “including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea.”

“America is profoundly committed to the defense of the Philippines,” Austin said. “Our commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty is ironclad, and let me say again, the Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, aircraft, or public vessels, including our coast guards, anywhere in the South China Sea.”

Austin also observed a Philippine Navy demonstration of the T-12 unmanned surface vessel, a state-of-the-art technology which the U.S. provided this year as part of its security assistance program to enhance the AFP’s maritime domain awareness and intelligence capabilities.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. toured the Command and Control Fusion Center, Western Command, and Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan on November 19, 2024. 

U.S. Embassy confirms task force 

A day after Austin’s revelation, the U.S. Embassy in Manila confirmed the existence of U.S. Task Force Ayungin on November 20.

In a statement, the embassy described the task force as a mechanism to improve “coordination and interoperability” between U.S. and Philippine forces in the West Philippine Sea.

The embassy emphasized that the task force aligns with the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) process and the Bantay Dagat framework.

The statement reaffirmed the U.S.-Philippines alliance, describing the task force as part of joint efforts to address regional challenges and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Strengthening ties with Trump

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently called U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him and discuss further strengthening economic, security, and defense ties between the two nations.

The Philippine president described the call as “very friendly” and “productive,” and he expressed optimism about continued cooperation under the Trump administration.

“I think President-elect Trump was happy to hear from the Philippines,” Marcos said.

Marcos’ two-year-old administration has prioritized rebuilding the U.S.-Philippines alliance after relations soured during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, who was openly hostile to the U.S.

Both leaders acknowledged the critical role of Filipino Americans in U.S. society and emphasized the positive trajectory of their bilateral relationship.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed the congratulatory call, saying, “The United States remains an important ally, partner, and friend to the Philippines.”

“We look forward to working with the Trump Administration in ensuring that PH-U.S. relations remain robust and benefit from continuing positive momentum in security and defense cooperation, economic partnership, as well as broader and deeper engagement across other areas of mutual interest,” it added.

The DFA also emphasized the valuable role of Filipino Americans in U.S. society, including their contributions to the recent peaceful and successful conduct of U.S. elections.

All photos credit: Department of National Defense

Top photo: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III (center in dark jacket) and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr (second from left) toured the Command and Control Fusion Center, Western Command, and Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan on November 19, 2024.