Publication

This brief looks at the US-Philippines defense alliance in light of the Tubbataha Reef incident. The grounding of a US Navy minesweeper off the coast of the Philippines in January 2013 showed how delicate managing the alliance between the two countries can be. According to the author, how the two allies will work together after this incident will be a good indication of the maturity and future direction of the alliance. Looking at the current situation, the outlook is positive.