“The Philippines is preparing to create a military space centre by 2028, a move that could help Manila strengthen surveillance, communications and command across its archipelago and in contested areas of the South China Sea.”
“Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jnr said on Tuesday the initiative – which would enhance communications, command and control, missile systems and drone operations – would lay the groundwork for a future space command.”
“Experts said the 2028 target was achievable if the project’s scope remained modest and the government pursued inter-agency cooperation and partnerships with countries that had established commercial space capabilities.”
” ‘For any meaningful military space capabilities to be developed by the Philippines, it will need the collaboration of its more technically experienced allies such as the US, Japan, and Australia,’ [Malarayap, Arellano University] said.”
“In the long term, the Philippines can opt to network its satellite with other countries. The proposed space command may model this arrangement through NATO’s Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space, which incorporates both allied and commercial space surveillance data.”
” ‘The reality in the short term is that the Philippines, like Australia, will need to rely on the US in the space domain. The Philippines, collaborating with Australia and Japan, however, should be exploring increased investment in independent satellite systems and in shared space-based ISR,’ Gardiner [Institute for Regional Security] said.”