Philippines Deploys Missiles at the Northern Tip of Luzon to Block Strategic Passage? Expert Analysis

[Global Times Report, Reporter Guo Yuandan] The international military media "Navy News" reported on the 10th that the newly established "BrahMos" land-based anti-ship missile unit of the Philippine Marine Corps has been deployed at the northernmost tip of Luzon Island. Some analysts believe that this move by the Philippines directly targets the critical passage of the Luzon Strait, which could block the Chinese Navy's access to and from the Pacific, highlighting Manila's escalation of deterrence against Beijing under the US-Philippines alliance. In response, military experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that China is fully capable of addressing the challenges posed by such military deployments and there is no need to overestimate them.

The report shows that the "BrahMos" land-based anti-ship missile unit is deployed at the Cape Bojeador camp, operated by the Philippine Marine Corps' 273rd Marine Battalion, which is equipped with missile launch vehicles, radar, and command control vehicles. Although the battalion is relatively small, Indian defense attachés and US military personnel attended the opening ceremony.

Public reports indicate that the range of the "BrahMos" anti-ship missile system is approximately 300 kilometers, with a maximum flight speed of up to 3 Mach. In 2022, the Philippines purchased three sets of the "BrahMos" anti-ship missile system from India. In April 2024, India delivered the first set of the "BrahMos" system to the Philippine military, followed by the second set a year later. The first set of the "BrahMos" system is deployed on the west coast of Luzon Island, covering China's Scarborough Shoal. The deployment of the second set of the "BrahMos" anti-ship missile system now blocks the western entrance of the Luzon Strait, enabling it to strike vessels passing through the Luzon Strait.

In recent years, senior officials of the Philippine government have repeatedly made reckless remarks about the Taiwan issue, with the Philippine president even claiming during a visit to India that if a confrontation occurs between China and the US over Taiwan, the Philippines cannot remain uninvolved.

"The deployment of the 'BrahMos' supersonic anti-ship missiles in northern Luzon is consistent with previous measures to establish missile positions and new military bases in the northern regions of the country, with the core purpose of supporting the US Indo-Pacific strategy, willingly acting as a 'chess piece' and 'hitter' for the US," military expert Zhang Junsha told Global Times reporters on the 11th. On one hand, regarding the Taiwan issue, the Philippines intends to coordinate with US military involvement in related military actions to restrain China; on the other hand, concerning disputes over islands like Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, it seeks to exert military deterrence against China through the deployment of these missiles.

"The strategic ambitions of the Philippines are destined to be difficult to achieve and are essentially an overreaching gamble," Zhang Junsha stated. From a military perspective, the core of modern warfare is system operations and joint operations, while the Philippine Navy has yet to form a complete operational system and lacks key equipment such as long-range reconnaissance, communication, and command control that match the "BrahMos" missile system. Relying solely on a single weapon system cannot change the regional balance of power nor can it have a strategic impact on the battlefield situation.