Riding Unruly Waves: The Philippines’ Military Modernisation Effort

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines is reshaping its security strategy, shifting from internal threats to external challenges and deepening its alliance with the United States. This transformation comes as tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea intensify, regional geopolitics shift, and uncertainty surrounds U.S. policy under the Trump administration.

In this online event, Lindsey Ford, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia at the U.S. Department of Defence, Radm. Rommel Jude Ong (Ret.), former Vice Commander of the Philippine Navy, and Georgi Engelbrecht, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst, will examine the Philippines’ military modernisation, looking at how Manila is upgrading its armed forces and using the U.S.-Philippines alliance along with other key defense partnerships to strengthen its defence posture. They will also explore how diplomatic tools can be used to complement deterrence efforts.
The event will draw upon Crisis Group’s latest report, “Riding Unruly Waves: The Philippines’ Military Modernisation Effort”.

Panellists: 
Lindsey W. Ford | Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation America, former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2024-2025
Rommel Jude Ong | Rear Admiral, Philippine Navy (Ret.), and Professor of Praxis, Ateneo School of Government
Georgi Engelbrecht | Crisis Group Senior Analyst, Philippines
Moderator: 
Huong Le Thu | Crisis Group Deputy Program Director, Asia

The panel discussion will be held in English and a recording will be available afterwards on YouTube.