Philippines To Activate Former U.S. Military Base

The Philippines today announced their plans to revive its former Navy and Air Force camps in Subic Bay, a U.S. Naval base, which was closed in the early 1990s.

Following the media reports about the U.S. using its P3C Orion surveillance planes to monitor Chinese activities in the disputed waters; this announcement was made, according to Global Times.

Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that Manila is still looking for funding and as soon as relocation funds are available the government plans to transfer air force and naval forces and their fleets of aircraft and warships to Subic Bay, according to the AP.

The relocation to Subic Bay is believed to cut reaction time for fighter aircraft to reach the South China Sea areas by more than three minutes compared with taking off from Clark airfield, as cited in Philippines confidential military reports.  

The Subic Bay could accommodate large and advanced ships like the Navy frigates BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz and its existing airport facilities make it easier to move air force units from Clark, according to the local newspaper.

Philippine Ambassador recently told a forum in Manila that the Philippines and the US "have clearly congruent interests" in the Asia-Pacific region, according to reports.