By Sanxuan

As two regional hotspots are escalating, the Philippines is once again stirring up trouble.

Recently, the Philippine Marine Corps deployed the "BrahMos" anti-ship missile on Luzon Island, which has attracted widespread attention. At the unveiling ceremony, in addition to Filipino military personnel, representatives from India and the United States also attended, making the scene very lively.

The "BrahMos" missile

Whenever there's a stir in the Pacific and South China Sea, the Philippines is usually helping the US coordinate. It's normal for the US military to send representatives here.

As for why an Indian representative was here, it's because the "BrahMos" is made in India. Of course, it's not entirely independently developed by India, but rather jointly developed with Russia. However, the missile is assembled in India, so it's often touted as an "indigenous Indian weapon".

Under the strong promotion of the Indian government and media, the "BrahMos" has become a popular missile in India. You can see related promotions everywhere. This not only reflects India's defense manufacturing capability, but also offers a good opportunity to make money. The Philippines, a third-rate military country, is a potential buyer.

President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The highlights of this missile include the following: supersonic flight, composite guidance system, "fire-and-forget" capability, meaning that after the missile is launched, the launching platform can withdraw, and the missile will track or attack the target on its own.

Doesn't it sound pretty impressive? Well, it depends on who the target is. If it's neighboring Southeast Asian countries, it might be quite intimidating, but against major powers, this equipment is nothing more than a joke, with extremely low survivability, barely better than cannon fodder.

Moreover, the "BrahMos" has a low-end version and a high-end version, and the Philippines is acquiring the most basic configuration. In short, this equipment is just for show, emphasizing that having something is better than having nothing.

Before this, the Philippine Navy was equipped with Israeli "Spike" missiles and South Korean "Hyunmoo" missiles. Its anti-ship capability was limited, almost negligible. After introducing the "BrahMos", the Philippines gained some confidence, believing it has the ability to intervene in great power conflicts. Indeed, the concept of "winning" is everywhere.

Philippine Navy stationed on Luzon Island

Looking at the map, the deployment location of the "BrahMos" faces the Taiwan Strait. The intention of the Philippines is obvious. Combined with its previous deployments, it is undoubtedly intended to intimidate China's strategic waterway, the Bashi Channel, trying to become a "platform" for US-Philippines intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

The Philippines has repeatedly claimed that "if there is an incident in the Taiwan Strait, it will be a problem for the Philippines," rushing to be a pawn.

Another country that often makes such statements is Japan, and Japan has had considerable military cooperation with the Philippines in recent years. Just last month, the US, Japan, and the Philippines held joint military exercises near the Bashi Channel, and perhaps in the future, the "BrahMos" might also participate.

In addition, the Philippines' active cooperation with the US is also to seek to purchase more US-made long-range equipment, such as the "HIMARS." With these, the Philippines' confidence will increase even further.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

For a long time, US equipment like "HIMARS" really intimidated people. But recent military conflicts have shown that US equipment does not necessarily mean battlefield initiative; it is more likely to be destroyed. Whether it's offensive or defensive equipment, this applies.

The US can mobilize "THAAD" from around the world to support Israel, but it won't go all out to support the Philippines, hoping that President Marcos understands this fact. After all, not all allies are equal. The Philippines, in the eyes of the US, clearly has a lower priority.



Original: toutiao.com/article/7619536150092349961/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.