U.S. to Construct Philippine Fast Boat Base Near South China Sea Flashpoints
“A solicitation for a boat maintenance facility seeks to construct support infrastructure to host Philippine vessels in the municipality of Quezon, located only 160 miles east of the flashpoint of Second Thomas Shoal. The documents noted this strategic position on the South China Sea as a project objective.”
“The development of the western coast facility is crucial for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which has mostly relied on its base at Naval Detachment Oyster Bay to stage patrols and resupply missions to its scattered outposts in the disputed waters. More developed ports on the eastern side of the island require more time to reach Manila’s outposts in the Spratlys. Plans for the project seek to get the watercraft from the facility and into the water within 15 minutes to meet a ‘rapid deployment readiness’ objective.”