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Marcos: PH, India to boost naval, coast guard interoperability

Philippine News Agency

By Darryl John Esguerra
August 5, 2025, 7:37 pm

NEW DELHI -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said the Philippines and India will strengthen interoperability between their naval and coast guard forces under the newly launched Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

"We will foster Naval and Coast Guard interoperability via port calls in cooperative activities and capacity building in the maritime domain," Marcos said in a joint press statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House here.

Marcos is currently in India for a five-day state visit to strengthen bilateral ties and explore more areas of cooperation with the South Asian giant, particularly in the areas of defense, economy, and regional security.

Three of the 13 newly signed agreements under the Strategic Partnership aim to institutionalize regular military-to-military dialogue and cooperation, namely:

* Terms of Reference between the Indian Navy and the Philippine Navy on Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks;
* Terms of Reference between the Indian Air Force and the Philippine Air Force on Air Staff Talks; and
* Terms of Reference between the Indian Army and the Philippine Army on Army-to-Army Staff Talks.

Marcos welcomed India's growing defense footprint and indigenous defense industry, citing the BrahMos missile projects as an example of expanding cooperation.

"We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines' ongoing defense modernization and the expanding capabilities and footprint of India's indigenous defense industry," he said.

In 2022, the Philippines purchased three batteries of shore-based, anti-ship variants of the BrahMos system under a USD375 million deal. The first batch arrived in April 2024, significantly boosting the Armed Forces of the Philippines' deterrence capabilities.

Marcos also thanked India for rescuing Filipino seafarers in 2024 after a Houthi rebel attack, and stressed the importance of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

"We recognize India's first responder role in this critical area, and we want to work with you for a free and open Indo-Pacific," Marcos said.

The Philippines continues to diversify its defense partnerships with other nations as tensions persist in the West Philippine Sea, where Chinese vessels have repeatedly encroached into Philippine waters, harassed Filipino fishermen, and obstructed resupply missions to military outposts.

The Marcos administration has strongly asserted the country's sovereign rights in the area, backed by the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims.

Like the Philippines, India also faces territorial challenges with China, particularly along their disputed Himalayan border, where recent military stand-offs have further strained ties between the two Asian powers.

Marcos underscored that both the Philippines and India have "high stakes" in ensuring a secure, rules-based Indo-Pacific and that their new Strategic Partnership would help shape regional peace, stability, and cooperation.

"This is a momentous decision," Marcos said. "India becomes only the fifth strategic partner of the Philippines—an apex that reflects the broadening, deepening, and accelerating trajectory of our relations." (PNA)